Chemische Technik, Vol.50, No.1, 20-27, 1998
Process investigations concerning the electrochemical immobilisation of uranium species on microconductor structures
The current state of the art concerning the elimination of uranium from acid mining drainage is characterized by the fact that the uranium (VI) can be removed by hydrolysis and flocculation of iron (Ill)-salt and coadsorption at the hydroxide flakes. This mine water cleaning procedure, which is applied relatively often to uranium fixing has the decisive disadvantage that the resulting uranium containing felling sludge is spent on dumps and is leached by fall out events or groundwater. In order to overcome this disadvantage and electrochemically based conversion concept on the basis of an electrochemical solid bed reactor has been developed. In this concept the mobile U(VI)-species are reduced on the surface of microconductors to immobile U(IV)-species. In this way, the post-worry and protection of such dump bodies should be formed essentially more economically concerning a remobilisation. This concept was proofed in laboratory experiments. A mechanism of U(VI) adsorption and the subsequent electrochemical reduction on the surface of the microconductor to U(IV) is suggested and discussed. During application in closed columns a "backwash" has to occur in order to minimize surface blocking of the acitve sites inside the solid bed reactor.
Keywords:ELECTROKINETIC REMEDIATION