A highly regenerable phosphate-based adsorbent for Uranium in seawater: Characterization and performance assessment using U-233 tracer

Adsorbent fiber fabrics produced by grafting bis[(2-methacryloyloxy)ethyl] phosphate (B2MP) onto Winged(TM) nylon 6 were found to be promising candidates for recovering uranium from seawater. Using U-233 tracer, high selectivity with distribution coefficients as high as (5-12).10(3) was found for uranium at naturally low seawater concentrations. At higher, U-spiked seawater measurements, the loading capacity exceeded 4.4% and the adsorbent was >70% regenerable over 20 adsorption-regeneration cycles. Key results included identification of a selective, high-capacity, regenerable adsorbent for uranium and characterization of preparation conditions for the optimal adsorbent. These conditions include the grafting method, the solvent, the temperature, and the gaseous environment in which the grafting process is performed, as well as the source of radiation, the total dose, and the dose rate.