A Conceptional Design, Cost and Sensitivity Analysis on Adsorption Process for Uranium Recovery from Seawater

Abstract

The system model for a conceptional design and cost estimation was studied on a multi-layered fluidizing bed with a pump which used hydrous titanium oxide (HTO) and amidoxime resin (AOR) as adsorbents. The cost effect of some parameters, namely characteristics of adsorbent, operating conditions, price of materials and some others, were estimated, and finally there was shown a direction of improvement and a possibility of cost reduction. The conceptional design and operating condition were obtained from the balance point on expansion ratio, recovery and characteristics of adsorbent. A suitable plan was obtained from the minimum cost condition in some level of the expansion ratio and some parameters.
HTO was heavy in density and cheap in price. The main results of the study indicated that the thickness of the bed was 1 m, the linear velocity of seawater was 52 m/hr, the number of bedlayers was 4, the construction cost of a 100 t/y plant was ¥10 billion, and the uranium cost was 160$/lb. AOR had a large adsorption capacity. As the main results, the thickness of bed was 0.08m, the linear velosity of seawater was 11.6m, the number of the bed layers was 27, the construction cost of a 100t/y plant was ¥15 billion, and the uranium cost was 280$/lb. The size of the 100t/y plant was about 800m length ×80m depth×30m height at 80% of recovery. An increase of adsorption capacity in HTO, and an increase of density and particle size in AOR had the greatest merit for cost reduction. Other effective parameters were the adsorption velocity, the recovery, temperature, the price of adsorbent, the manufacturing cost of instrument, and the rate of interest. The cost of uranium by this process had a possibility of cost reduction to 67$/lb at HTO and 79$/lb at AOR.