Uranium Removal from Aqueous Solution Using Ion-exchange Resin DOWEX® 2x8 in the Presence of Sulfate Anions

The current study was aimed at uranium (VI) ions adsorption using a anion exchanger resin, Dowex®2x8, in the presence of sulfate anions. Evaluation of operational parameters including contact time, pH, initial concentration of uranium ions, and presence of various anions (including phosphate, sulfate, chloride, fluoride, and nitrate) in the solution was assessed on sorption performance of Dowex 2x8. Employing the Langmuir and Freundlich binding models, isotherm analysis was performed to clarify the relation between uranium ions adsorbed on the resin and the concentration of remaining uranium ions in the aqueous phase. To reveal the rate-limiting step of the sorption process, kinetic modeling using pseudo first-order and pseudo second-order equations was also carried out. Maximum sorption capacity for Dowex 2x8 anionic exchanger resin on uranium removal process was found to be 303.03 mmol g-1. It was also disclosed that existence of diverse anion contents in the solution could affect the uranium sorption using Dowex 2x8 anion exchanger resin.