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The continuous recovery of uranium from biologically leached solutions using immobilized biomass
Author(s) -
Tsezos M.,
McCready R. G. L.,
Bell J. P.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
biotechnology and bioengineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.136
H-Index - 189
eISSN - 1097-0290
pISSN - 0006-3592
DOI - 10.1002/bit.260340103
Subject(s) - uranium , biosorption , elution , biomass (ecology) , chemistry , adsorption , chromatography , nuclear chemistry , pulp and paper industry , environmental chemistry , materials science , sorption , metallurgy , biology , organic chemistry , ecology , engineering
The potential of uranium recovery from the dilute uranium ore bioleach solutions of the Elliot Lake district of Canada was examined using immobilized microbial biomass. Batch and continuous laboratory scale pilot plant experiments were carried out. The results have shown that the immobilized microbial biomass can successfully recover all of the uranium from dilute (less than 300 mg U/L) solutions. The uranium can subsequently be eluted producing a high uranium concentration eluate perhaps exceeding 5000 mg U/L. The biomass maintained its biosorption capacity of about 50 mg U/g over 12 examined successive adsorption‐elution cycles with no apparent indication of failure.