Efficient extraction of U(VI) from uranium enrichment process wastewater by amine-aminophosphonate-modified polyacrylonitrile fibers

Xiaoqin Nie; Yujing Zhang; Yating Jiang; Ning Pan; Chang Liu; Junling Wang; Chunyan Ma; Xue Xia; Mingxue Liu; Hongping Zhang; Xiaoan Li; Faqin Dong

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154743

Efficient extraction of U(VI) from uranium enrichment process wastewater by amine-aminophosphonate-modified polyacrylonitrile fibers

Sci Total Environ. 2022 Jul 20:831:154743. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154743. Epub 2022 Mar 23.

Authors

Xiaoqin Nie¹, Yujing Zhang², Yating Jiang², Ning Pan³, Chang Liu⁴, Junling Wang³, Chunyan Ma³, Xue Xia², Mingxue Liu⁴, Hongping Zhang⁵, Xiaoan Li⁶, Faqin Dong⁷

Affiliations

¹ National Coinnovation Center for Nuclear Waste Disposal and Environmental Safety, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, China; Fundamental Science on Nuclear Wastes and Environmental Safety Laboratory, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621000, China; Key Laboratory of Solid Waste Treatment and Resource Recycle of Ministry of Education, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, China. Electronic address: xiaoqin_nie@163.com.
² National Coinnovation Center for Nuclear Waste Disposal and Environmental Safety, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, China.
³ Fundamental Science on Nuclear Wastes and Environmental Safety Laboratory, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621000, China.
⁴ Key Laboratory of Solid Waste Treatment and Resource Recycle of Ministry of Education, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, China.
⁵ State Key Laboratory of Environmental Friendly Energy Materials, School of Materials Science, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, China.
⁶ Mianyang Central Hospital, NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Technology Medical Transformation, Mianyang 621000, China. Electronic address: 435445611@qq.com.
⁷ Fundamental Science on Nuclear Wastes and Environmental Safety Laboratory, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621000, China; Key Laboratory of Solid Waste Treatment and Resource Recycle of Ministry of Education, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, China. Electronic address: fqdong2004@163.com.

PMID: 35337879
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154743

Abstract

The enrichment and recovery of U(VI) from low-level radioactive wastewater in the process of uranium enrichment is important for the sustainable development of nuclear energy and environmental protection. Herein, a novel amine-aminophosphonate bifunctionalized polyacrylonitrile fiber (AAP-PAN), was prepared for the extraction of U(VI) from simulated and real uranium-containing process wastewater. The AAP-PAN fiber demonstrated a maximum adsorption capacity of 313.6 mg g^-1 at pH = 6.0 and 318 K in the batch experiments. During the dynamic column experiment, over 99.99% removal of U(VI) could be achieved by the fiber using multi-ion simulated solution and real wastewater with an excellent saturation adsorption capacity of 132.0 mg g^-1 and 72.5 mg g^-1, respectively. It also exhibited an outstanding reusability for at least 5 cycles of adsorption process. The mechanism for U(VI) removal was studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis in the assist of simulation calculation. It suggested that the amine and aminophosphonate groups can easily bind uranyl ions due to U(VI) is more likely to combine with oxygen atoms of CO and PO, respectively.

Keywords: AAP-PAN fibers; Efficient extraction; U(VI) wastewater; Uranium enrichment process.

MeSH terms

Acrylic Resins
Adsorption
Amines
Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
Kinetics
Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
Uranium* / analysis
Wastewater / analysis

Substances

Acrylic Resins
Amines
Waste Water
polyacrylonitrile
Uranium