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Uranium Recovery from Sulfate-Based Acidic Soil Washing Effluent Using Ion-Exchange Resins

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Abstract

This study aimed to recover U(VI) from sulfate-based acidic soil-washing effluent using the ion-exchange method. For effective ion exchange of U(VI) under acidic conditions, one chelate resin (Purolite S950) stable under low pH conditions and two anion-exchange resins (Ambersep 400 SO4 and 920U SO4) used in sulfuric acid leaching systems were selected. The ionic form of U(VI) changed according to the initial pH conditions of the soil-washing effluent, which affected the U(VI)-ion removal efficiency by the ion-exchange resins. U(VI) ion exchange was consistent with the Langmuir model and followed pseudo-second-order kinetics. Thermodynamic experiments revealed that the U(VI) ion exchange by the ion-exchange resins is an endothermic and spontaneous process. U(VI) was effectively desorbed from the ion-exchange resins using 0.5 M H2SO4 or Na2CO3 solution.

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Funding

This work was supported by a research grant from the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) [Grant No. 521220–22, South Korea].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Radwaste Management Center, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, 111 Daedeok-Daero, Yuseong-Gu, Daejeon, 34057, Republic of Korea

    Hyun-Kyu Lee, Wooshin Park, Seeun Chang, Hongrae Jeon & Sungbin Park

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  1. Hyun-Kyu Lee
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  2. Wooshin Park
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  3. Seeun Chang
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  4. Hongrae Jeon
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  5. Sungbin Park
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Correspondence to Sungbin Park.

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Lee, HK., Park, W., Chang, S. et al. Uranium Recovery from Sulfate-Based Acidic Soil Washing Effluent Using Ion-Exchange Resins. Water Air Soil Pollut 233, 453 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-022-05913-1

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