New Methodological Research Progress in Uranium Extraction from Seawater

Abstract

Exploring clean and sustainable energy resources stands as one of the primary challenges facing the world in the 21st century. Nuclear energy, as a scalable low-carbon energy source, plays a pivotal role in the global energy transition. Uranium serves as a crucial fuel for nuclear reactions; however, terrestrial uranium resources are finite, projected to sustain demand for only the coming decades. The oceans harbor approximately 4.5 billion tons of uranium resources, far exceeding terrestrial reserves. However, uranium concentrations in seawater are extremely low (around 3.3 µg/L), and the presence of numerous competing ions (such as Na⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺) and biological contamination makes efficient uranium extraction highly challenging. This paper systematically reviews various advanced strategies for uranium extraction from seawater, including photonic trapping, hydrogel adsorption, and porous adsorbents. It summarizes the adsorption capacity, selectivity, efficiency, and applicable scenarios of each method. Overall, while significant progress has been made in enhancing uranium extraction capabilities and optimizing material performance, challenges remain in addressing the complexity of the seawater environment, material stability, cost control, and large-scale application.

Keywords

Uranium / Photocatalyst / Interfacial solar-driven evaporation / Hydrogel / Porous adsorbent

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