Synthesis, characterization, and application of polystyrene adsorbents containing tri-n-butylphosphate for solid-phase extraction of uranium (VI) from aqueous nitrate solutions

Polystyrene adsorbent for solid-phase extraction of U(VI) was developed through in situ copolymerization of styrene and divinylbenzene in the presence of tri-n-butylphosphate and its magnetic form was obtained by addition of fine particles of magnetite in an amount of 15 wt% of the total monomers used. The obtained adsorbents were characterized by means of scanning electron microscope, FTIR spectroscopy and X-ray powder diffraction. The adsorption behavior of U(VI) from aqueous nitrate solutions onto non-magnetic adsorbent RI (St-DVB-TBP) and its magnetic form RII (St-DVB-TBP-Fe3O4) at different experimental condition was studied using batch method. The adsorption results were found to fit Langmuir model. The magnetite-containing adsorbent showed higher uptake values relative to the corresponding magnetite-free one. The adsorption of U(VI) onto RI followed pseudo-first order kinetics whereas the adsorption onto RII followed pseudo-second order. Thermodynamic studies revealed that the adsorption process was a spontaneous exothermic reaction. Desorption of the loaded U(VI) was carried out using distilled water and found to be 97 and 93 % for RI and RII, respectively. (author)