Innovative Method to Stabilize Liquid Membranes for Removal of Radionuclides from Groundwater

41080 Membrane Technology and Research, Inc. Uranium and other radionuclides have contaminated the groundwater at numerous DOE sites around the United States, and remediation is required. One technology with significant potential uses liquid membranes, which can selectively extract uranium and enrich it 10,000-fold or more by a coupled transport mechanism. In principle, liquid membranes provide an ideal method for recovery of metals from aqueous wastes because three processes - selective extraction, stripping, and regeneration - are combined in a single step. Unfortunately, current liquid membranes are not stable due to loss of carrier. In this project, the resolution of this instability problem by a novel membrane improvement will be evaluated. In Phase I, the feasibility of the approach will be determined in experiments with flatsheet membrane; long-term stability tests will be conducted. In Phase II, a pilot-scale demonstration system will be built and tested, first in the laboratory and later at a suitable DOE field site. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: Stable liquid membranes will allow effective and economical remediation of groundwaters containing radionuclides. The improved membranes can also be applied to the separation of other metal ions from aqueous streams in numerous industrial operations.