Desorption of uranium from titanium-activated carbon composite adsorbent with acidic eluent, 1

An investigation was carried out on the desorption of uranium from titanium-activated carbon composite adsorbent with acidic eluent by the batch process. The rate of desorption of uranium with acidic eluent depended on temperature, showing an increase as the temperature was raised. But the rate of desorption with acidic eluent was less dependent on temperature than that obtained when mixed eluent of sodium carbonate-sodium hydrogencarbonate was used. The rate of desorption of uranium did not vary in the range of concentration from 0.3 to 0.5 N, and the rate of desorption with sulfuric acid was slightly higher than that obtained when hydrochloric acid was used. The amount of dissolved titanium decreased as the ratio of adsorbent to eluent (RAE) was increased. At RAE of 10 %, the percentage of dissolved titanium (DTI) was below 0.38 % with sulfuric acid, below 0.7 % with hydrochloric acid. These values were found to be higher than the ones with the carbonate eluent. The elements except uranium, which were adsorbed on the adsorbent, were eluted simultaneously with acidic eluent. The regeneration of the adsorbent after desorption, therefore, was found to be unnecessary. In a repeated test of adsorption-desorption treatment up to five times, the percentage of uranium adsorbed from natural sea water was approximately constant of 85 %. From these results, the application of column process to the desorption of uranium with acidic eluent at room temperature was proposed to be feasible. (author)