Effect of short chain aliphatic carboxylic acids for sorption of uranyl on rutile Zeta potential and in situ ATR-FTIR studies

• Binary (rutile–uranyl) system gives only positive zeta potential at lower rutile conc (2 g/L).
• Carboxylic acids have greater affinity to uranyl ions in aqueous media than rutile.
• Carboxylic acids significantly desorb uranyl from rutile surface.
• Short chain acids have negligible interaction with rutile.

Migration of radionuclides in aqueous system is a matter of great environmental concern due to their acute and long-term toxicity. This study seeks to address the sorption of uranyl on rutile in presence of short-chain aliphatic carboxylic acids by zeta potential analysis and in situ ATR-IR spectroscopy. Point of zero charge of rutile was significantly shifted with the addition of carboxylic acids/uranyl ions separately in solution but it was negligible when organics and uranyl ions were added in the suspension. In situ ATR-IR data for uranyl sorption was evidenced by an absorption band of uranyl as(UO2) at 915 cm−1.

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