Title: First-Principles Integrated Adsorption Modeling for Selective Capture of Uranium from Seawater by Polyamidoxime Sorbent Materials

Abstract

Nuclear power is a relatively carbon-free energy source that has the capacity to be utilized today in an effort to stem the tides of global warming. The growing demand for nuclear energy, however, could put significant strain on our uranium ore resources, and the mining activities utilized to extract that ore can leave behind long-term environmental damage. A potential solution to enhance the supply of uranium fuel is to recover uranium from seawater using amidoximated adsorbent fibers. This technology has been studied for decades but is currently plagued by the material’s relatively poor selectivity of uranium over its main competitor vanadium. In this work, we investigate the binding schemes between uranium, vanadium, and the amidoxime functional groups on the adsorbent surface. Using quantum chemical methods, binding strengths are approximated for a set of complexation reactions between uranium and vanadium with amidoxime functionalities. Those approximations are then coupled with a comprehensive aqueous adsorption model developed in this work to simulate the adsorption of uranium and vanadium under laboratory conditions. Experimental adsorption studies with uranium and vanadium over a wide pH range are performed, and the data collected are compared against simulation results to validate the model. It was found that couplingmore » ab initio calculations with process level adsorption modeling provides accurate predictions of the adsorption capacity and selectivity of the sorbent materials. Furthermore, this work demonstrates that this multiscale modeling paradigm could be utilized to aid in the selection of superior ligands or ligand compositions for the selective capture of metal ions. Furthermore, this first-principles integrated modeling approach opens the door to the in silico design of next-generation adsorbents with potentially superior efficiency and selectivity for uranium over vanadium in seawater.« less

Authors:

Ladshaw, Austin P.  ^[1];

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Ladshaw, Austin P."
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0002-0157-6410"

Ivanov, Alexander S.  ^[2];

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Ivanov, Alexander S."
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0002-8193-6673"

Das, Sadananda ^[2]; Bryantsev, Vyacheslav S.  ^[2];

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Bryantsev, Vyacheslav S."
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0002-6501-6594"

Tsouris, Costas  ^[3];

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Tsouris, Costas"
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0002-0522-1027"

Yiacoumi, Sotira ^[1]

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+ Show Author Affiliations

1. Georgia Inst. of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States)
2. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
3. Georgia Inst. of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States); Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

Publication Date:

Tue Mar 27 00:00:00 EDT 2018

Research Org.:

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE

OSTI Identifier:

1436030

Grant/Contract Number:  

AC05-00OR22725

Resource Type:

Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:

ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Volume: 10; Journal Issue: 15; Journal ID: ISSN 1944-8244

Publisher:

American Chemical Society (ACS)

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; adsorption; amidoxime; modeling; uranium; vanadium