Extraction of uranyl ions from aqueous solutions using silica-gel-bound macrocycles for alpha contaminated waste water treatment

The efficiency for the extraction of U(VI) of new modified silica gels, namely N-tripropionate (or N-triacetate)-substituted tetraazamacrocycles-bound silica gels, has been studied. The effect of the nature of the ligand, the pH and the temperature was studied both in batch experiments as well as in continuous extraction. These silica gels are good candidates for the extraction of U(VI) when compared to a commercially available acid-type chelating resin. The breakthrough and regeneration tests showed that the total removal of U(VI) from a contaminated solution can be achieved by using a column packed with such tetraazamacrocycles-bound silica gels. Finally, the use of a modified silica gel in a pilot device allowed the total decontamination of 50 m^3 of real effluents containing traces of uranium, plutonium, and americium.