Phys.org January 23, 2020 Carboranes, molecules composed of boron, carbon and hydrogen atoms clustered together in three-dimensional shapes did not work out as rocket engine fuel as expected. According to an international team of researchers (USA – UC Santa Barbara, Israel) carboranes could hold the key to more efficient uranium ion extraction. Key to this technology is the versatility of the cluster molecule which allows for the controlled capture and release of metal ions. They devised a way to reliably and efficiently flip back and forth between open and closed carboranes, using electricity. By applying an electrical potential using an […]
Tag Archives: Uranium
On track to commercial extraction of uranium from seawater
Next Big Future June 16, 2018 Seawater contains about three parts per billion of uranium. It’s estimated that there is at least four billion tons of uranium in seawater, which is about 500 times the amount of uranium known to exist in land-based ores which must be mined. A team of researchers in the US (PNNL, industry) has chemically modified regular, inexpensive acrylic fiber to convert it into an adsorbent which is selective for uranium, efficient and reusable. The material is inexpensive, adsorbent properties are reversible, and the captured uranium is easily released to be processed into yellowcake. Analysis of […]