MOLYBDENUM-OXIDE BASED SORBANTS FOR TOXIC METALS

摘要

The ability of molybdenum trioxide to absorb uranium from water was investigated.It was found that MoO3 could absorb up to 165 % by weight of uranium via a chemical reaction that produces an insoluble uranium molybdenum oxide mineral oxide called umohoite,UMoO6·2H2O.The rate of reaction between MoO3 and a slight excess (43 mole %) of 0.100 M uranyl acetate was found to be zero order with a rate constant of 0.42 mmol/hr.A cyclic process was developed whereby MoO3 adsorbed uranium from aqueous solution and then the uranium and molybdenum trioxide were separated by treatment with aqueous ammonia.Solid ammonium uranate was isolated by filtration and the aqueous ammonium molybdate was converted back to M0O3 by heating.The recovery of uranium from the separation was 98.9%.