China's uranium-extraction method from seawater is 8x stronger than US
What's the story
A team of researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed a way to extract uranium from seawater at a rate more than eight times higher than the target set by the US Department of Energy. The breakthrough comes as part of a global effort to harness this abundant source of nuclear fuel. The team achieved this feat using a material they created, called PhosCage.
Innovative approach
More than 8 times the US target
PhosCage is a sponge-like molecular structure packed with phosphate groups that work as chemical traps.
The researchers were able to extract as much as 50.4mg of uranium per gram of this adsorbent from natural seawater samples.
This rate is more than eight times the US target of 6mg per gram, marking a significant advancement in the field.
Practical application
PhosCage converted into beads for easier deployment
The team also converted PhosCage into millimeter-sized beads, making them easier to deploy and retrieve in the open ocean.
These beads were able to capture 22.55mg per gram of uranium and continued to work even after seven cycles of reuse.
This development could pave the way for adsorbents that can capture more uranium, eventually leading to large-scale applications.
Strategic advantage
Potential to transform China's energy landscape
The new technology could be a game-changer for China, which has large uranium reserves but consumes more than it produces as it pushes for more nuclear power.
The breakthrough in uranium extraction from seawater could help China meet its growing energy needs while reducing dependence on imported uranium.
This could also put China at the forefront of a global quest to tap into a vast source of nuclear fuel.