Kinetics of adsorption of uranium from seawater by humic acids

The kinetics of the adsorption of uranium from seawater by humic acids fixed onto a polymer matrix was measured in a fluidized bed as a function of the grain size of the adsorbent and the flow velocity of the seawater. The adsorption rate was found to be governed by the diffusion of the uranium ions through the hydrodynamic surface layer of the adsorbent which is always formed in laminar flows of liquids. The measured rate constants are interpreted in terms of effective diffusion coefficients of 3.6 x 10-5 cm2/s for uranyl ions and 1.8 x 10-5 cm2/s for tricarbonatouranate ions in the surface layer. As a consequence of this kinetic behavior, the geometry of the adsorbent as well as the velocity of the water flow are relevant parameters for the amount of adsorbent needed for a projected extraction rate. This conclusion applies to all adsorption processes where diffusion through the hydrodynamic layer is the rate-determining kinetic step