Extraction of uranium from soil using selective chelators with secondary concentration using water soluble polymers
- Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
Studies have investigated the extraction and recovery of uranium from contaminated soil containing both sorbed and metallic uranium. Our goal was to selectively bind and recover uranium from this soil and minimize secondary waste generation. Our approach was to determine optimal chelators for uranium extraction using contaminated soil taken from an area at LANL where open air testing of explosives containing depleted uranium was conducted. Uranium concentrations range in the soil from 1000-5000ppm. We have found that equimolar carbonate/bicarbonate solution in conjunction with an oxidant, sodium hypochlorite, is an excellent extractant for uranium from this soil, removing 90+% of the uranium. Our present focus is on the recovery and concentration of uranium from the extractant solution using a large water soluble polymer (>10,000 MW) as a secondary chelator for complexing the extracted uranium:carbonate complex. Using ultrafiltration, the volume of waste can be reduced 100+ fold. These commercially available polymers can then be regenerated and re-used. Using this approach, we are able to recover 90+% of the uranium in a minimal volume.
- OSTI ID:
- 559924
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-970443-; TRN: 98:002139
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 213. national meeting of the American Chemical Society, San Francisco, CA (United States), 13-17 Apr 1997; Other Information: PBD: 1997; Related Information: Is Part Of 213th ACS national meeting; PB: 2904 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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