Adsorption of uranium by chemically modified titanate nanowhiskers

Titanate nanowhiskers were synthesized by a hydrothermal method with nano-sized titanate dioxide rutile as the titanate source, and then the modified titanate nanowhiskers were obtained by loading tributyl phosphate (TBP) on the surface of the titanate nanowhiskers. The morphology and structure of the titanate nanowhiskers and the modified titanate nanowhiskers were characterized by SEM, TEM and FTIR. The two nanomaterials were applied for the adsorption of uranium ion, and the adsorption kinetics and the adsorption isotherm model of the modified titanate nanowhiskers were studied. SEM photographs show that the particle size of the titanate nanowhiskers ranges from 80 nm to 100 nm. Uranium adsorption studies demonstrate that modified titanate nanowhiskers exhibite higher adsorption capacity in 3 mol/L NO^-₃ medium than titanate nanowhiskers. Adsorption kinetics of uranium on modified titanate nanowhiskers is in accordance with quasi-second order kinetic model, and adsorption isotherm model consistents with Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm model. The modified titanate nanowhiskers were applied to recover low concentration uranium from tap water, and satisfactory results were achieved.