Research & Development World

  • R&D World Home
  • Topics
    • Aerospace
    • Automotive
    • Biotech
    • Careers
    • Chemistry
    • Environment
    • Energy
    • Life Science
    • Material Science
    • R&D Management
    • Physics
  • Technology
    • 3D Printing
    • A.I./Robotics
    • Software
    • Battery Technology
    • Controlled Environments
      • Cleanrooms
      • Graphene
      • Lasers
      • Regulations/Standards
      • Sensors
    • Imaging
    • Nanotechnology
    • Scientific Computing
      • Big Data
      • HPC/Supercomputing
      • Informatics
      • Security
    • Semiconductors
  • R&D Market Pulse
  • R&D 100
    • Call for Nominations: The 2025 R&D 100 Awards
    • R&D 100 Awards Event
    • R&D 100 Submissions
    • Winner Archive
    • Explore the 2024 R&D 100 award winners and finalists
  • Resources
    • Research Reports
    • Digital Issues
    • R&D Index
    • Subscribe
    • Video
    • Webinars
  • Global Funding Forecast
  • Top Labs
  • Advertise
  • SUBSCRIBE

Fueling nuclear power with seawater

By R&D Editors | August 21, 2012


August 21, 2012 Share This!

  • Frances
    White
    , PNNL, (509) 375-6904

PNNL tests adsorbent to extract uranium from the
ocean

  • Nuclear Power PlantContact PNNL for
    Image Release

    PNNL is testing an adsorbent that could more
    effectively extract trace amounts of uranium from seawater and help
    fuel future nuclear power development.

    Photo courtesy of Tobin.

previous
1 of 1 next

When you take a dip in the ocean, nuclear fuel is probably the
farthest thing from your mind. Uranium floats in Earth’s oceans in
trace amounts of just 3 parts per billion, but it adds up.
Combined, our oceans hold up to 4.5 billion tons of uranium –
enough to potentially fuel the world’s nuclear power plants for
6,500 years.

Countries such as Japan have examined the ocean as a uranium
source since the 1960s, but previous approaches have been too
expensive to extract the quantities needed for nuclear fuel. Now
researchers at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National
Laboratory
and Oak Ridge National
Laboratory
are tweaking one of those concepts with the goal of
making it more efficient and cost-competitive. The research is
being done for the Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear
Energy.

Japan developed an adsorbent that attaches the uranium-loving
chemical group amidoxime to a plastic polymer. ORNL examined the
binding process between the plastic and chemical groups and used
that knowledge to enhance the uranium-grabbing characteristic of
the amidoxime groups on the adsorbent material’s surface.

PNNL tested the adsorbent’s performance at its Marine Sciences Laboratory in
Sequim, Wash., DOE’s only marine research facility. Using filtered
seawater from nearby Sequim Bay, PNNL established a laboratory
testing process to measure the effectiveness of both Japan’s and
ORNL’s adsorbent materials. Initial tests showed ORNL’s adsorbent
can soak up more than two times the uranium than the material from
Japan.

Results were presented today at the fall meeting of the American
Chemical Society, which runs Aug. 19-23 in Philadelphia. ORNL
chemical engineer Costas Tsouris presented the research team’s
findings this afternoon, while PNNL chemical oceanographer Gary
Gill presented a poster on the PNNL testing program this evening.
Tsouris’ presentation is part of a larger, day-long oral session on
uranium extraction from seawater. Check out the ACS website (link
below) for talk and poster abstracts.


PNNL poster: “Testing adsorbents to extract uranium from
ambient seawater,”
Gary A. Gill, 6-7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 21, Hall D, Pennsylvania Convention
Center.

ORNL talk: “Marine testing of uranium adsorption from seawater,”
Costas Tsouris, 4:10 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 21, Room 113 A,
Pennsylvania Convention Center.

Complete oral session: “Extraction of Uranium from Seawater,”
organized by Ben Hay, Robin Rogers and Sheng Dai, all day Tuesday,
Aug. 21, various locations at the Pennyslvania Convention
Center.


ACS meeting website

Tags: Energy, Environment, Nuclear Power,
Energy
Production
, Marine
Research

Interdisciplinary teams at Pacific Northwest National
Laboratory
address many of America’s most pressing issues in
energy, the environment and national security through advances in
basic and applied science.  PNNL employs 4,700 staff, has an
annual budget of nearly $1 billion, and has been managed for the
U.S. Department of Energy by Ohio-based Battelle since the
laboratory’s inception in 1965.  For more, visit the PNNL’s News Center, or follow
PNNL on
Facebook
,
LinkedIn
and Twitter.

SOURCE

Related Articles Read More >

2025 R&D layoffs tracker tops 92,000
Efficiency first: Sandia’s new director balances AI drive with deterrent work
Ex-Google CEO details massive AI energy needs at House hearing, advocates for fusion and SMR R&D
Floating solar mats clean polluted water — and generate power
rd newsletter
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND STAY CONNECTED
Get the latest info on technologies, trends, and strategies in Research & Development.
RD 25 Power Index

R&D World Digital Issues

Fall 2024 issue

Browse the most current issue of R&D World and back issues in an easy to use high quality format. Clip, share and download with the leading R&D magazine today.

Research & Development World
  • Subscribe to R&D World Magazine
  • Enews Sign Up
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Drug Discovery & Development
  • Pharmaceutical Processing
  • Global Funding Forecast

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search R&D World

  • R&D World Home
  • Topics
    • Aerospace
    • Automotive
    • Biotech
    • Careers
    • Chemistry
    • Environment
    • Energy
    • Life Science
    • Material Science
    • R&D Management
    • Physics
  • Technology
    • 3D Printing
    • A.I./Robotics
    • Software
    • Battery Technology
    • Controlled Environments
      • Cleanrooms
      • Graphene
      • Lasers
      • Regulations/Standards
      • Sensors
    • Imaging
    • Nanotechnology
    • Scientific Computing
      • Big Data
      • HPC/Supercomputing
      • Informatics
      • Security
    • Semiconductors
  • R&D Market Pulse
  • R&D 100
    • Call for Nominations: The 2025 R&D 100 Awards
    • R&D 100 Awards Event
    • R&D 100 Submissions
    • Winner Archive
    • Explore the 2024 R&D 100 award winners and finalists
  • Resources
    • Research Reports
    • Digital Issues
    • R&D Index
    • Subscribe
    • Video
    • Webinars
  • Global Funding Forecast
  • Top Labs
  • Advertise
  • SUBSCRIBE