Shrimp will help in the extraction of uranium. Free Technical Library News

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Shrimp will help in the extraction of uranium

06.09.2012

In an attempt to make it easier for the shrimp and crab industry to dispose of the shells, scientists unexpectedly discovered a cheap way to extract uranium from seawater.

As you know, the reserves of uranium ore on Earth may soon run out, which will put an end to obtaining energy using nuclear power plants. However, there is another, practically inexhaustible, billions of tons, source of uranium - ocean water. But since the content of uranium in it does not exceed 3,3 milligrams per ton, its extraction remains unprofitable today.

Chemists have been struggling with this problem for a long time and have made some progress in recent years. The best results were obtained by Japanese researchers at the beginning of the 2003st century. They created a mat of plastic fibers impregnated with molecules that both bound the fibers and absorbed the uranium. In 100, with the help of such a mat, the Japanese "got" a kilogram of uranium out of the water. Such carpets up to 200 meters long can be lowered to a depth of XNUMX meters. They are taken out of the water, washed with an acid solution to release the uranium, and put back into the water.

Various laboratories tried to improve the performance of the "uranium" mat by adding porous "nanoparticles" of silicon oxide or carbon to its composition, but the first serious result was achieved by a team of chemists from the University of Alabama using polymers obtained from shellfish shells.

This group worked under contract with a company that manufactures products from crab and shrimp. The organization was so interested in resolving the issue of shell disposal as soon as possible that it was ready to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for it. Scientists have developed an appropriate method, having found that the "ionic liquid" - molten salt - is able to extract chitin from the shells. It was also found that chitin is not only the basis of the shells, but is also an ideal means for accumulating uranium, and is very easily and firmly "embedded" in the composition of the fibers of the "uranium" mat.

According to Dr. Robin Rogers, who leads the research team, their mat is capable of collecting twice as much uranium as a Japanese one. This brings it closer to the standards of industrial use, although, says Rogers, their results "are not yet very good for the modern economy." He, nevertheless, is sure that by modernizing the received methodology, his group will be able to find a way out.

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