Uranium(VI) recovery from acidic leach liquor using manganese oxide coated zeolite (MOCZ) modified with amine

Manganese oxide coated zeolite modified with trioctyl amine (MOCZ/TOA) was tested for adsorption of uranium. Different experiments were performed to evaluate the optimum adsorption conditions; pH, dose, uranium concentration, temperature variation and contact time. Maximum adsorption capacity reached 99 mg/g according to Langmuir model. The study of thermodynamic parameters showed that sorption process is non spontaneous, exothermic and random. Studies on process kinetics showed that the process obeys pseudo-second order model. Uranium desorption was accomplished using 0.3 M H₂SO₄. Optimum conditions were carried out for uranium recovery from sedimentary geologic sample from Gattar area, North Eastern Desert, Egypt. The final uranium precipitate was characterized by ICP-OES technique. (author)