Cost Estimation of Uranium Recovery from Seawater with System of Braid Type Adsorbent

Abstract

Uranium cost in the annual collection of 1, 200t-U from seawater was evaluated by using the recovery system of braid type adsorbents synthesized by radiation-induced graft polymerization. The total cost was calculated by summating those in the processes of adsorbent production, uranium recovery, and elution and purification. When the adsorbent performance increased from 2g-U/kg-adsorbent (ad) to 6g-U/kg-ad, the cost of each process decreased in the same way. The increment of adsorbent durability of 6 times to 60 times reduced the process cost of adsorbent production especially. In the current state of 2g-U/kg-ad and 6 times usage of adsorbent, the uranium from seawater cost 90, 000yen/kg-U. The uranium cost becomes 25, 000yen/kg-U in the promising performance of 4g-U/kg-ad and 18 times usage of adsorbent.