URANIUM REMOVAL FROM AQUEOUS SOLUTION USING TRI-N-BUTYL PHOSPHATE AND DI-2-ETHYLHEXYL PHOSPHORIC ACID FUNCTIONALIZED POLYESTER SHEET AND CHARCOAL AS ADSORBENTS

The present investigation deals with the removal of uranium from a nitric acid waste solution (Raffinate solution: produce during yellow cake of uranium production) using the extraction chromatography technique (solvent impregnated material) ), where Tri-N-butyl phosphate (TBP) and Di-2-ethylhexyl phosphoric acid (D2EHPA) solvents were impregnated upon polyester sheet and charcoal respectively then the impregnated resin were tested for uranium removal. Thus, the factors affecting the impregnation process namely, solvent concentration, impregnation time, volume/mass ratio, impregnation temperature and diluents type were studied. Secondly the influences of initial uranium concentration, adsorption temperature, contact time, pH on the uranium adsorption on the prepared materials were studied. From the results the isotherm models also calculated to determine uranium adsorption behavior by the prepared TBP and D2EHPA impregnated polyester sheet and charcoal respectively. Both prepared materials were found to be fitted with Langmuir than Freundlich model isotherm.