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Adsorption of U(VI) from acid solution on a low-cost sorbent: equilibrium, kinetic, and thermodynamic assessments

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Abstract

In this paper, waste clay was cured with ethyl acetate to obtain treated clay (TC), which was modified with gallic acid to obtain a low-cost sorbent that was characterized by EDX, SEM, and FTIR analysis. Uranium(VI) adsorption was achieved using the batch adsorption method on the TC and gallic acid-modified treated clay (GMTC). The maximum uptakes of U(VI) on TC and GMTC were 37.2 and 193.0 mg/g, respectively. The U(VI) adsorption kinetics on the TC and GMTC sorbents were well-fitted by the pseudo-second-order mechanism, and the adsorption equilibrium followed the Langmuir model. The optimum parameters were applied to El Sela leach solution for uranium recovery.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nuclear Materials Authority, P.O. Box 530, Maadi, Cairo, Egypt

    Mohamed F. Cheira, Hamed I. Mira & Ahmed K. Sakr

  2. Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt

    Saad A. Mohamed

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  1. Mohamed F. Cheira
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Correspondence to Mohamed F. Cheira.

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Cheira, M.F., Mira, H.I., Sakr, A.K. et al. Adsorption of U(VI) from acid solution on a low-cost sorbent: equilibrium, kinetic, and thermodynamic assessments. NUCL SCI TECH 30, 156 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41365-019-0674-3

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