Uranium Removal from Groundwater and Wastewater Using Clay-Supported Nanoscale Zero-Valent Iron

The peculiarities of sorption removal of uranium (VI) compounds from the surface and
mineralized groundwater using clay-supported nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) composite materials
are studied. Representatives of the main structural types of clay minerals are taken as clays: kaolinite
(Kt), montmorillonite (MMT) and palygorskite (Pg). It was found that the obtained samples of
composite sorbents have much better sorption properties for the removal of uranium from surface
and mineralized waters compared to natural clays and nZVI.It is shown that in mineralized waters
uranium (VI) is mainly in anionic form, namely in the form of carbonate complexes, which are
practically not extracted by pure clays. According to the eciency of removal of uranium compounds
from surface and mineralized waters, composite sorbents form a sequence: montmorillonite-nZVI >
palygorskite-nZVI > kaolinite-nZVI, which corresponds to a decrease in the specific surface area of
the pristine clay minerals.