Synthesis of a Novel Composite Hydrous Titanium Oxide- Hydroxyapatite for Adsorbing Uranium from Waste Effluents

Abstract

In this paper; a novel composite (HAP@HTO)derived from hydrous titanium oxide (HTO) extracted from Rosetta ilmenite mineral and hydroxyapatite (HAP) was formed by co-precipitation method,specified and used for uranium preconcentration from its solutions. Batch tests were performed to investigate its selectivity towards uranium; maximum adsorption efficiency reached at pH 2.5, 120 minutes contact time, 900 mg L–1 uranium concentration and adsorbent ratio (0.1g/75 mL). The equilibrium data fitted well with Langmuir adsorption isotherm. From Kinetics and thermodynamics data; process was fast, fitted well with pseudo-second order, spontaneous and exothermic. The percentage desorption of uranium reached its maximal at 15 minutes equilibrium time using 1 mol L-1 H2SO4. Thereby, (HAP@HTO)composite has promising potential applications in extracting U (VI) from its aqueous solutions in nuclear fuel field and environmental pollution cleanup.