Cloth filter for recovery of uranium from radioactive waste

A cloth filter incorporated with amidoxime/carboxyl groups was synthesized for recovery of uranium from radioactive waste obtained from nuclear fuel fabrication laboratories. The cloth filter was synthesized by radiation-induced grafting of acrylonitrile/methacrylic acid (AN/MA) onto a cotton cloth and followed by amidoximation reaction at a weight ratio of AN to MA of 80/20. The effect of comonomer composition on the grafting ratio and AN composition in the graft chain was studied. The reactivity of AN for grafting into the cotton cloth was found to be less than that of the MA acid. The incorporation of the functional groups was confirmed by FT-IR spectra. The cloth filter possessed good mechanical properties and thermal and chemical stability suitable for practical use. The uranium uptake ratio reached 95% at 298 K and pH 9-9.5.