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A Scientific Advance In China Could Change The Course Of Nuclear Energy In The World. Researchers Developed A Technique For Extracting Uranium From Seawater That Is Up To 40 Times More Efficient Than Previous Methods.
China has just taken a decisive step in the field of nuclear energy. Researchers announced a new technology that could revolutionize how uranium is extracted from seawater.
The method is 40 times more efficient than previous ones and could ensure a more sustainable source of nuclear fuel.
The innovation comes at a critical time, as the demand for uranium in the country is rapidly increasing.
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High Demand And Limited Sources
In recent years, China has been expanding its nuclear energy infrastructure. In 2024 alone, the country imported 13,000 tons of natural uranium.
Domestic production, however, is much lower: about 1,700 tons.
With consumption rising, the International Atomic Energy Agency estimates that Chinese demand will exceed 40,000 tons by 2040.
The current mines cannot keep up with this pace. Therefore, scientists have begun to look to a less conventional source: the ocean.
It is estimated that seawater contains up to 4.5 billion tons of uranium. That is a thousand times more than the reserves on land.
The Challenge Of Extraction
Despite the abundance, extracting uranium from the sea is not easy. The concentration of uranium in water is very low — about 3.3 milligrams per ton.
Another problem is the presence of vanadium, a metal with chemical properties similar to uranium. Separating the two requires a complex and expensive process.
It was precisely at this point that Chinese scientists focused their efforts. The goal was to make this separation process more efficient and feasible on a large scale.
The Game-Changing Technology
The innovation came from the Frontiers Science Centre for Rare Isotopes at Lanzhou University. The team led by Professor Pan Duoqiang developed a material that improves the separation between uranium and vanadium by 40 times.
The new technology can selectively capture uranium ions while ignoring vanadium ions.
The study was published in the journal Nature Communications in early April. According to the researchers, this discovery could provide China with a stable and independent supply of uranium for many decades.
MOFs: The Key To The Advance
The basis of the innovation lies in the so-called metal-organic frameworks, or MOFs. These are compounds that combine organic and inorganic elements.
They have very large surfaces and adjustable structures, ideal for the selective capture of elements like uranium.
However, traditional MOFs have limitations. When designed too precisely, they end up losing surface area and reducing active sites. To circumvent this, scientists added molecules called DAE (diphenylethylene) to the MOFs.
These molecules react to ultraviolet light and can alter the size of the pores in the material. As a result, the MOFs become more adaptable and efficient.
Testing In Real And Simulated Water
The new material, called DAE-MOF, was tested both in simulated seawater and in real samples. In both situations, the performance was impressive. The material was able to adsorb 588 milligrams of uranium per gram and achieved a uranium-vanadium separation factor of 215. This surpasses all materials tested to date.
The results excited the researchers, who are now looking to adapt the technology for large-scale use.
Surpassing Japan
For decades, Japan led the race for extracting uranium from the sea. Between the 1980s and 1990s, the country managed to extract 1 kilogram of uranium concentrate in ocean tests — the highest yield until then.
But China has begun to change this scenario. In 2019, the state-owned China National Nuclear Corporation formed an alliance with 14 research institutes.
Together, they created the Seawater Uranium Extraction Technology Innovation Alliance, with ambitious goals for the next 30 years.
Plans Until 2050
The first phase of the Chinese plan runs until 2025 and aims to match Japan’s achievement. The goal is to extract uranium at the kilogram level under real conditions.
After that, the expectation is to build a demonstration plant with a capacity of tons by 2035. Finally, by 2050, the aim is to initiate continuous industrial production.
If the timeline is met, China could become the first country in the world to turn the extraction of uranium from the sea into a viable and stable operation.
The DAE-MOF material is now seen as a central piece in this journey.
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