NOVEL URANIUM SOURCES | SPECIAL REPORT
Above: The rising price of uranium is prompting renewed interest in alternatives to conventional mineral extraction Source: Orano
Crucially, since the uranium extraction technology only requires users to coat a very thin layer of PEDOT@sp2
c
-COF-AO on an electrode, the electrode can be regenerated and reused for numerous cycles without ever losing power. Furthermore, the amount of material that’s used is not only minimal but its overall preparation is consistently straightforward, too. Therefore, its cost of production will likely be
competitive, when compared to conventional mining. Additionally, in comparison to the traditional, slow passive sorption that’s used in uranium ore processing, it provides a higher mass-normalised uranium uptake, rapidly and directly from seawater. Thus, the need for energy-intensive mining and chemical processing diminishes, leading to a decline in the environmental disruption and pollution that’s often associated with traditional mining. “Seawater contains an immense reservoir of uranium,
estimated at around 4.5 billion tons globally, which far exceeds terrestrial uranium deposits,” Dr. Ma said. “Moreover, our method is inherently sustainable, as seawater continuously replenishes uranium, allowing for a long-term, eco-friendly supply without depleting terrestrial resources.” Of equal importance, the team’s uranium extraction
technology also offers faster kinetics than uranium ore processing, as well as a continuous electrochemical operation. “These advantages greatly increase uranium yield per unit of material and time, reducing both material and operational costs in a scalable system,” Dr. Ma added. In addition to having an electrode that can be steadily
regenerated and reused, the technology uses considerably less energy than other uranium extraction methods, such as those that utilise fibers coated with amidoxime groups. The primary reason? It operates through electrodeposition, rather than passive adsorption. During conventional adsorption methods used in
terrestrial extraction processes, uranium capture will be constrained by slow diffusion, as well as sorption sites’ inevitable saturation. In turn, deployment times rise, while frequent regeneration cycles will indirectly increase the total amount of energy that’s required. In contrast, electrodeposition will actively drive uranyl ions toward the electrode surface under an applied potential. Thus, uranium will be deposited continuously – without ever being limited by site saturation. “The amidoxime sites in PEDOT@sp2
c-COF-AO are
fully electrochemically wired, ensuring efficient electron transfer and rapid uranium conversion,” Dr. Ma said.
“This combination delivers much higher yields in shorter operating windows, reducing both processing duration and ancillary energy use. Thereby, electrodeposition requires significantly less energy than conventional adsorption methods.”
Stable performance, continuous enrichment Interestingly, the uranium extraction technology doesn’t have copper electrodes, which are generally used in traditional electroplating. Instead, it has a working electrode that’s coated with PEDOT@sp²c-COF-AO. Consequently, it provides selective binding sites that can rapidly capture and enrich uranyl ions while simultaneously enabling efficient electrodeposition. Since the technology has one graphite electrode, in addition to the working electrode – rather than copper electrodes – a variety of benefits have been noticed so far. First, copper dissolution has been avoided altogether. Second, uranium won’t ever be embedded into the electrode. And third, since uranium embedment is circumvented, the technology will operate smoothly and steadily, leading to a more straightforward, simplified recovery of uranium, when compared to other extraction methods. The technology extracts very quickly, too. According to
Dr. Ma, it can complete most uranium extraction from seawater in 24 to 48 hours. “However, because natural seawater contains uranium
at extremely low concentrations (~3.3 ppb), real-seawater tests require much longer deployment times,” Dr. Ma said. “So far, our material typically removes more than half of the uranium under realistic seawater conditions. All reported experiments are repeatable and not one-off results.” Its fast extraction process is due to its innovative
electrode design. Since its working electrode combines highly selective adsorption sites with a conductive framework, the technology can promptly recognise and capture uranyl ions. At the same time, it also enables electrons to be transferred rapidly. “This synergy between molecular-level recognition and efficient electrochemical deposition ensures that once uranyl ions reach the electrode surface, they are immediately fixed, preventing loss and enabling continuous enrichment,” said Dr. Yanpei Song, a former PhD. student of Dr. Ma’s. Currently a postdoctoral research associate at Oak Ridge
National Laboratory, Dr. Song built upon Dr Ma’s conceptual design while creating specific experiments and carrying
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