新しい海水ウラン捕集システムの提案

Nobel system for uranium recovery from seawater

瀬古 典明; 笠井 昇; 清水 隆夫*; 玉田 正男

Seko, Noriaki; Kasai, Noboru; Shimizu, Takao*; Tamada, Masao

モール状捕集材を海底から立ち上げて係留するシステムにおいて、1kgあたり1.5gのウランを捕集できる捕集材で年間1200トンのウランを捕集するには、捕集材の長さを60m、係留間隔を8mとした場合、捕集材210万本を係留する必要があり、係留面積は134kmとなると推定された。モール状捕集材を用いて海水中のウランを捕集するのに適した海域は、南西諸島から土佐湾の水深100mから200mの領海内と考えられ、総面積はおおよそ6000kmに達する。

Braid adsorbent having functional group of amidoxime is a promising material for the recovery of uranium dissolved in the seawater. This long braid adsorbent was made by polyethylene multi-fibers in which amidoxime groups were introduced by radiation-induced graft polymerization and subsequent chemical treatment. The braid adsorbent obtained was moored at the offing of Okinawa Island. The average U adsorption of the adsorbent became 1.5 g-U/kg-adsorbent for 30 d soaking. The mooring system for braid adsorbent has possibility which reduced the cost for the recovery of uranium from seawater. Annual product of 1200 tons of uranium needs 134 km of mooring area. In addition, there is 6000 km and more of suitable sea area for the collection of the uranium in the regions from Okinawa Islands to Tosa Bay in Japan.