Research Progress of Anti-Biofouling Materials for Uranium Extraction From Seawater

With the two major development objectives of “emission peak” and “carbon neutrality” proposed, nuclear energy, as a full-fledged clean energy, will play an increasingly important role in China’s energy structure. As one of the most important nuclear fuel resource, uranium resources are the cornerstone of the sustainable development of nuclear power. With the increasing scarcity of terrestrial uranium resources, an efficient utilization of marine uranium resources has then become an effective means to ensure a long-term and adequate supply of nuclear fuel. However, uranium extraction from seawater faces a huge challenge of severe marine biofouling. A large number of marine microorganisms damage the structure of the uranium extraction material, resulting in a significant reduction in mechanical properties and adsorption properties of the material. Therefore, the development of uranium adsorption materials with anti-biofouling activity is the key to extract uranium from seawater under a real marine environment. This paper comprehensively summarizes the research and development of various anti-biofouling uranium extraction materials in recent years, as well as the mechanism of different types of anti-biofouling materials. Combining the development status quo, the prospects for the further development of anti-biological fouling uranium extraction materials are put forward.

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