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Effect of bi-functionalization silica micro beads on uranium adsorption from synthetic and washing pregnant uranyl solutions

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Abstract

Series of grafting functionalization on silica microspheres were achieved to mono and bi-functionalized polymers for uranium recovery. Bi-functionalization sorbent is the most effective through improving the sorption capacity and other physico-chemical properties. Completed sorption time reached within 25 min for PAO-MAc/SiO2 at pH 4 with loading capacity 0.98 mmol U g−1, while the PFORE and Langmuir fitting the kinetics and isotherm plateaus respectively with completely desorption through 15 min using 0.5 M HCl. The sorbent shows high stability in sorption and desorption through minimum 5 cycles. The synthesized PAO-MAc/SiO2 was successfully applied for uranium recovery from raffinate solution produced in the uranium mining site.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Egyptian Nuclear Materials Authority. The authors thanks the efforts of Prof. Eric GUIBAL.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of South China, Heng Yang, 421001, People’s Republic of China

    Mohammed F. Hamza & Yuezhou Wei

  2. Nuclear Materials Authority, POB 530, El-Maadi, Cairo, Egypt

    Mohammed F. Hamza & Mahmoud S. Khalafalla

  3. Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China

    Yuezhou Wei

  4. Faculty of Science, Menoufia University, Shebine El-Koam, Egypt

    Nora A. Hamad

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  1. Mohammed F. Hamza
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Hamza, M.F., Khalafalla, M.S., Wei, Y. et al. Effect of bi-functionalization silica micro beads on uranium adsorption from synthetic and washing pregnant uranyl solutions. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 330, 191–206 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-021-07945-z

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