Leaching behavior of uranium and vanadium using strong sulfuric acid from Korean black shale ore

The present scientific study focused on leaching behavior of uranium and vanadium from Korean domestic ore. The leaching process experimental conditions optimized for uranium and vanadium metals recovery from Korean domestic ore and developed the basic experimental procedures such as time, particle size, acid influence, temperature effect and pulp density (PD) behavior. Acid influence on leaching process was tested and noted that 2.0 M sulfuric acid concentration is the optimized conditions for present study. The time influence on leaching process was observed and its optimized 2 h for complete leaching process. The temperature influence tested and optimized the 80 °C for complete leaching process and PD is 50 % (wt%). The bench scale experiments developed in a laboratory and tested in pilot level each batch 100 kg of ore sample.     

Factors influencing breakthrough volumes when using sorption traps at high flow rates

The effects of the sample flow-rate and bulk and bulk sample composition on the breakthrough behaviour of H₂ in small sorption traps were studied. The information is required for the bulk thermal properties of the sample affect the temperature inside the cooled traps and therefore also the breakthrough volume. It was also found that the brakthrough volume, measured downstream of a packed trap, can qctually increase with volume flow rate.     

Quantification of thorium and uranium sorption to contaminated sediments

Desorption tests, using a sequential extraction method, were used to characterize and quantify thorium and uranium sorption to contaminated wetland sediments collected from the Department of Energy's Savannah River Site located in South Carolina. In situ distribution coefficients, or K _d values (K _d = C _solid/C _liquid), were determined. Sequential extraction data were used to assign solid-phase radionuclide concentrations (C _solid) that, by definition, should represent only the reversibly sorbed fraction. A series of selective and sequential extractions was used to determine desorption K _d values. Thorium K _d values ranged from 115 to 2255 ml/g. Uranium K _d values ranged from 170 to 6493 ml/g. Compared to sorption K _d values, these desorption K _d values were appreciably greater because they captured the aging process of the radionuclides with the sediment, making the radionuclide more refractory. Compared to nonsite-specific data, these in situ K _d values improved accuracy, were more defensible, and removed unnecessary conservatism for subsequent transport and risk calculations. Additional tests were conducted to provide geochemical information relevant for selecting appropriate remediation technologies for the contaminated site. Thorium and uranium were associated with labile fractions and were not concentrated with the smaller sediment particles. These findings suggest that phytoremediation or heap leaching, and not soil washing, are viable remediation approaches for this site.     

Study of scandium and thorium sorption from uranium leach liquors

Scandium and thorium sorption from simulated uranium leach liquors by phosphorous containing ion exchange resins was studied. Increase of thorium concentration resulted in a decrease of scandium sorption by 26–65%. Tulsion CH 93 resin was chosen for Sc separation from uranium leach liquors. It was shown that 180 g L^?1 Na₂CO₃ allowed for elution 94.1% of Sc and 98.9% of Th in dynamic conditions. Using (NH₄)₂SO₄ (50 g L^?1) + ACBM (180 g L^?1) mixture for primary Sc/Th separation at the resin/eluent ratio of 1:5 resulted in thorium desorption degree as high as 66–69%, whereas scandium loss did not exceed 10%.     

Study of uranium sorption and desorption on some Turkish clays

The sorption and desorption of uranium on two different clay samples which are obtained from the deposit located in Turgutlu and Kula have been studied by application of a batch technique. The two types of clay materials are Ca-montmorillonite. The uranium concentration range was between 200–3000 ppm. Experimental procedures are outlined and results for uranium contacted with montmorillonite are reported and discussed. The sorption/desorption isotherms were reversible and non-linear for this concentration range. The relative importance of test parameters e.g., pH, clay particle size, temperature, ground water composition, contact — time, solid/water ratio which require definition in order to arrive at meaningful distribution coefficients were carried out. The sorption coefficients varied between 0.65–1.45 and 0.45–1.14 for Kula clay and for Turgutlu clay, respectively. The data could be fitted to Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms. The quantity of the sorbed and desorbed uranium ions was much lower than its theoretical CEC's. This was attributed to a blocking of montmorillonite's CEC by uranium islands sorbed in interlayer. The results have shown that the test parameters can have a marked effect on sorption and the present work provides further evidence of the need to take account of the presence of such materials in safety assessment modeling.     

Radionuclides migration in the geosphere and their sorption on natural sorbents

This report identifies a number of mechanisms that retard radionuclide migration, describes methods that are used to study such retardation phenomena and evaluates the extent to which this methods may be used to diagnose radionuclide migration through various types of geologic media. A qualitative, quantitative and applicable basis for ion exchange modelling in clay have provided. Caesium and strontium are taken as a reference elements, and itsK _d values obtained from both batch and diffusion experiments are explained and independently predicted by the model.     

Methods for sorption purification of underground water to remove uranium

Possibility was examined of using sorption purification of underground water containing 246 μg dm^–3 of uranium to remove this component with zeolite and shungite of natural origin, technogenic phosphogypsum, and products of their modification under static and dynamic sorption conditions. Copper(II), nickel, and zinc hydroxides served as modifying agents. It was shown that the modified sorbents enable a substantially higher extraction of uranium into the sorbent under static and dynamic sorption conditions. The water purification reached the level satisfying the requirements of hygienic regulation GN 2.1.5.1315–03 (maximum permissible concentration of chemical substances in water of household and cultural water bodies), imposed on technical-grade water used for industrial purposes.     

Lead and uranium sorption characteristics on hydrothermal synthesized delta manganese dioxide

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry - In present paper, delta manganese dioxide is prepared with a hydrothermal method, and the adsorption is investigated with a batch method. The...     

Defluorination behavior and mechanism of uranium dioxide

The residual fluorine in ammonium uranyl tricarbonate (AUC) cannot be removed, while a large part of residual fluorine in ammonium diuranate (ADU) can be removed, when AUC and ADU are decomposed and reduced under dry hydrogen atmosphere. UO₂ was prepared by decomposing and reducing AUC and ADU in dry hydrogen atmosphere. The defluorination kinetics of UO₂ at 500–700°C in atmosphere of 50% H₂-50% H₂O was investigated. The results show that the defluorination kinetics supports the Lindman's assertion that the residual fluorine forms a solid-solution in UO₂.     

Modeling of the sorption behavior of 137Cs in soils

A model has been used, based on the simultaneous occurrence of the sorption and desorption processes, to describe the sorption behavior of ¹³⁷Cs in soils in Hong Kong reservoir. By fitting the experimental data with a single parameter, relatively constant sorption and desorption rate constants were obtained. The theory also provided an estimate on the number of sorption sites for different masses of soils. Attempts have been made to explain the findings for different types of soils. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Surface and bulk sorption of uranium(VI) onto granite rock

Surface and bulk sorption of U(VI) onto granite rock with different types of surfaces were carried out and the results were compared for the different surfaces such as crushed granite, machined core granite, and core granite with fractured surface. The sorption behavior of U(VI) dependent on surface types was investigated and discussed for contacting time, pH, constituent minerals, and surface area. Results from the sorption experiments were also compared each other in order to analyze the differences in sorption behaviors of U(VI) and to correlate the surface sorption coefficient K_a and the bulk sorption coefficient K_d. The effect of contact time and pH on the sorption of U(VI) onto fractured surfaces was larger than that onto the machined fresh surfaces but smaller than that onto the crushed surfaces. As expected, it was noticed that the surface sorption coefficients of U(VI) for the natural fracture surfaces were greater than those of the machined fresh surfaces due to the higher content of secondary minerals such as calcite and chlorite which acted as stronger sorbents. It is presumed that there are many micro-fractures or micro-pores available for the uranium sorption on the granite surfaces, even on the machined fresh surfaces, and there can be an intrinsic difference between the surface and the bulk sorption due to the different types of surfaces.     

Radiochemical studies of the sorption behavior of strontium and barium

The sorption behavior of strontium and barium on kaolinite, bentonite and chlorite-illite mixed clay was studied by radioanalytical techniques using the batch method.⁹⁰Sr (29.1 y) and¹³³Ba (10.5 y) were used as radiotracers. Characterization of the solid matrices was done by FTIR and XRD spectrometries and specific surface area measurements. Synthetic groundwater was used as the aqueous phase. The variation of the distribution ratioR _d, as a function of metal ion loading was examined. The sorption isotherms were fitted to various isotherm models. The sorption energies were calculated to be in the range of 8–10 kJ/mol suggesting an ion exchange type of sorption mechanism. In detailed experiments, chlorite-illite mixed clay was first presaturated with K⁺, Sr²⁺, Ca²⁺ and Al³⁺ ions, respectively, prior to sorption studies with Ba²⁺ ions. The results of Ca²⁺ pretreated chlorite-illite were very similar to those of natural chlorite-illite, suggesting that the Ba²⁺ ion exchanges primarily with the Ca²⁺ ion on the clay minerals.     

Characterization of the sorption of uranium(VI) on different complexing resins

The sorption of uranium(VI) on two cationic resins containing different complexing groups, the iminodiacetic resin Chelex 100 and the weak carboxylic resin Amberlite CG-50, was investigated. The Gibbs–Donnan model was used to describe and to predict the sorption through the determination of the intrinsic complexation constants. These quantities, even though non-thermodynamic, characterize the sorption as being independent of experimental conditions.The sorption mechanism of the metal on the complexing resins was also studied by adding a competitive soluble ligand that shifts the sorption curves to higher pH values. The ligand competes with the resin for the complexation with the metal ion. Uranium is also strongly sorbed on Chelex 100 at very acid pH, through formation of two complexes in the resin phase: ML with log_110i=–1.16, in more acidic solution, and ML₂ with log_120i=–5.72. Only the presence of the competitive ligand in solution makes the determination of the second complex possible. Also on Amberlite CG-50 the sorption is strong and involves the formation of the complex ML₂, in more acidic solution, with log_120i=–3.16. In the presence of the ligand EDTA, the complex ML₂(OH)₂ was characterized with log_12–2i=–5.15. In all the experiments the hydrolysis reaction in the aqueous phase was quantitatively considered.     

Selective sorption of uranium from aqueous solution by graphene oxide-modified materials

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry - The effect of competing ions on the sorption behaviour of uranium onto carboxyl-functionalised graphene oxide (COOH-GO) were studied in batch...