The increasing problem of global climate change has renewed the worldwide interest in energy sources that do not produce greenhouse gases. This is expected to lead to a renaissance in the use of nuclear power but current terrestrial uranium reserves are only sufficient for several more decades Thus, shepherding our resources requires finding alternative sources for uranium. One widespread potential source is the uranium found in fertilizer – a wasted resource that may also have negative health effects. Uranium is present in phosphate rock and it is extracted into the phosphoric acid used in the manufacture of fertilizer. The Apblett research group has developed mineral-based nanometric ion exchangers that have proven useful for harvesting uranium from ocean water and the sorption of uranium from phosphoric acid. The process for sorption of uranium and its eventual isolation as ammonium uranate will be discussed. The result is uranium-free fertilizer and potential nuclear fuel.

Sorption of uranium from phosphoric acid using nanometric inorganic ion exchangers

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.