IISc Bengaluru Develops More Effective Uranium Extraction Method

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science found a new way to separate uranium from seawater.

Uranium is used as fuel for nuclear power plants.

There is much more uranium in seawater than in land deposits, but it is difficult to collect because seawater contains many other substances.

The researchers created special membranes made from layered materials called covalent organic frameworks.

These membranes block uranyl ions, which contain uranium, while letting common seawater ions pass through.

The layers are slightly shifted to create tiny pathways that control how ions move.

This means the method depends more on the membrane’s structure than on adding many chemical binding sites.

The approach could also help remove uranium from groundwater.

The study used molecular simulations and membrane design to understand and improve the separation process.