Adsorption of Uranium from Aqueous Solutions Using Activated Carbon

Abstract

Abstract The adsorption of uranium from aqueous solution has been investigated using conventional commercially available activated carbons. It was found that treatment with hot nitric acid oxidized the surface of activated carbon and significantly increased the adsorption capacity for uranium in near-neutral and slightly acidic nitrate solutions. Equilibrium data were fitted to a simplified Freundlich isotherm for the purpose of comparison of oxidized and as-received samples. The decontamination of aqueous solutions was investigated in small column experiments. An ionexchange mechanism of uranium sorption from aqueous solution is discussed.