CA1038168A - Matrix of algae and method of making same and method of obtaining uranium from sea water by said matrix - Google Patents

Matrix of algae and method of making same and method of obtaining uranium from sea water by said matrix

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Publication number
CA1038168A
CA1038168A CA208,766A CA208766A CA1038168A CA 1038168 A CA1038168 A CA 1038168A CA 208766 A CA208766 A CA 208766A CA 1038168 A CA1038168 A CA 1038168A
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CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
uranium
matrix
algae
grams
water
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
CA208,766A
Other languages
French (fr)
Other versions
CA208766S (en
Inventor
Klaus Wagener
Manfred Paschke
Maximilian Wald
Erich-Alexander Heide
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH
Original Assignee
Kernforschungsanlage Juelich GmbH
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from DE19732345430 external-priority patent/DE2345430C3/en
Priority claimed from DE2441479A external-priority patent/DE2441479B1/en
Application filed by Kernforschungsanlage Juelich GmbH filed Critical Kernforschungsanlage Juelich GmbH
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1038168A publication Critical patent/CA1038168A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22BPRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS; PRETREATMENT OF RAW MATERIALS
    • C22B3/00Extraction of metal compounds from ores or concentrates by wet processes
    • C22B3/18Extraction of metal compounds from ores or concentrates by wet processes with the aid of microorganisms or enzymes, e.g. bacteria or algae
    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C12BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
    • C12NMICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING, OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; CULTURE MEDIA
    • C12N1/00Microorganisms, e.g. protozoa; Compositions thereof; Processes of propagating, maintaining or preserving microorganisms or compositions thereof; Processes of preparing or isolating a composition containing a microorganism; Culture media therefor
    • C12N1/12Unicellular algae; Culture media therefor
    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22BPRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS; PRETREATMENT OF RAW MATERIALS
    • C22B60/00Obtaining metals of atomic number 87 or higher, i.e. radioactive metals
    • C22B60/02Obtaining thorium, uranium, or other actinides
    • C22B60/0204Obtaining thorium, uranium, or other actinides obtaining uranium
    • C22B60/0217Obtaining thorium, uranium, or other actinides obtaining uranium by wet processes
    • C22B60/0252Obtaining thorium, uranium, or other actinides obtaining uranium by wet processes treatment or purification of solutions or of liquors or of slurries
    • C22B60/0256Obtaining thorium, uranium, or other actinides obtaining uranium by wet processes treatment or purification of solutions or of liquors or of slurries using biological agents, e.g. microorganisms or algae
    • YGENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02PCLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
    • Y02P10/00Technologies related to metal processing
    • Y02P10/20Recycling

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Biotechnology (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Microbiology (AREA)
  • General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Geology (AREA)
  • Bioinformatics & Cheminformatics (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Metallurgy (AREA)
  • Biochemistry (AREA)
  • Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
  • Zoology (AREA)
  • Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
  • Genetics & Genomics (AREA)
  • Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
  • Molecular Biology (AREA)
  • Virology (AREA)
  • Medicinal Chemistry (AREA)
  • Biomedical Technology (AREA)
  • Cell Biology (AREA)
  • Botany (AREA)
  • Tropical Medicine & Parasitology (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Manufacture And Refinement Of Metals (AREA)
  • Cultivation Of Seaweed (AREA)
  • Treatment Of Liquids With Adsorbents In General (AREA)
  • Purification Treatments By Anaerobic Or Anaerobic And Aerobic Bacteria Or Animals (AREA)
  • Preparation Of Compounds By Using Micro-Organisms (AREA)
  • Micro-Organisms Or Cultivation Processes Thereof (AREA)

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE:

A matrix of algae mutants and method of obtaining thereby uranium from sea water, according to which a matrix is prepared of uranium compatible algae mutants suitable for picking up uranium dissolved in sea water, which matrix is ten placed in an area of the sea in which low and high tides pass streams of sew water through the above mentioned matrix.

Description

1 03~
The present inventioD relates to A ~atrix con~isting of algae, ~Dd a method of making such Eatrix a~ well 88 to the applic~tion of the matrix for obta~ning fro~ sea water urani-u~ di~olved iD ~ea w~ter Numerou~ att0~pts hRve been ~ade to obtain uranium from sea w ter beca w e the ~a water contains a practically unli~it-~d ~upply of ur~Dium The heretofore known method~ for obtain-iDg ur~nium fro~ ~ea w ter ar~ b~-d either on the principle of extraction in couDt-rcurrent or count~rflow, vn the cheDical precipitation, addition, on the ~xch~ng~ of ion8 or on flota-tioD With 11 h~retofore known m-thods of the type involved, it W~8, how~v-r, n~c~ ry to o ploy ch-~ical sub~tAnces Thi~ -ha~ tb- dr wb ck that in ~-n-r~l gre-t quantiti-~ of che~icals w re ne-ded 90 tbat th- cost~ for tbe coc~u~pti~n of the re~-pect~e u-te~ial~ were r~th~r hl~h and tbat pollution of the ~urrou~ding~ occurr-d ~hic~ could aot b- eli~i~ated at ~ll or ooly t v ry hi~h xp-n~ nothor drawbac~ inher-nt to tbe~e ~no~o _ thod~ con~iJt~ iD th-t a co~id-rabl~ consu ption of n-r~y wa~ n-c-J~ary to practic- the~- h r-tofore k~own D~thod~
b c~uJe Ithou~h ur niuo i~ pr-~ nt in ~ea wat-r in great quaD-titi-~, it occur-, ho~ ver, i~ J~ water iD ~ very low co~con-tr tion It iJ, th-r for-, D obj-ct of th- pr-~nt inv-ntion to pro~d- atrix ~Dd to rploy th- J-U- for obtainine ura~u~
froa J~ ~ater without polluti~e th Jurround~g- ~nd without U~iD~ a~y ~nersy which requir-~ reL~tively high ~xpense~
The~- object~ hsve been realiz-d accordi~g to the present i~vention by ue ns of for ing the above rentio~ed ~atrix from ~.o3t~6s a uranium compatible mutant suitable for receiving uranium dissolved in sea water. In this connection it has proved particularly advantageous to employ a matrix which is formed of single-celled green algae, but it is to be under-stood that also multi-celled algae are usable in this connection.
For the sake of completeness, it may be added that it is known that mutants of one-celled green algae are uranium compatible. It has also been speculated that such algae might be suitable for obtaining uranium from sea water, but heretofore no teaching has been disclosed how to go about technically to realize this speculation.
This invention seeks to provide a method of preparing a matrix comprising in combination mutants for single-cell green algae to be cultivated compatible with uranium and suitable for extracting uranium dissolved in sea water, which includes the steps of: introducing the algae into a sterilized nutrient solution adjusted to an acidity of pH 6, and formed of 3.8 grams sea salt, 0.03 grams of NH4N03 as well as 5 ml earth extracts in 100 ml water, introducing in steps into the thus obtained solution uranium in the form of uranylnitrate until the quantity of uranium has been enriched to 250 mg/l, subjecting the algae to x-ray radiation at a dose of approximately 50 kR, pouring the algae onto agar plates formed by employing a solution of 3.8 grams sea salt and 0.03 grams of NH4N03 and 5 ml earth extracts in 100 ml water, inoculating the thus forming colonies individually and further cultivating the same in a nutrient solution formed by the solution of 3.8 grams sea salt and 0.03 grams NH4N03 and 5 ml earth extracts in 100 ml water.
A preferred method of practicing the present invention consists in that the matrix is arranged in a filter cage with at least two screen-shaped walls which permit sea water to pass through but which are non-perme-able for the above mentioned mutants. The mesh size of the screen walls em-ployed for the filter cages must be less than the size of the cells of the mutants forming the matrix. Therefore, the cell size of the algae forming the matrix should be around from 50 to 100 ~.

ia38168 For obtaining uranium compatible algae, green algae are in con-formity with the present invention introduced into a solution with a high uranium concentration which solution contains sea water or the essential components of sea water whereupon the thus obtained solution with the algae therein is subjected to radiation by x-rays. The remaining algae are sown on a uranium containing nutritive substratum or nutrient medium, and the surviving cultures are taken off therefrom and are kept in pure sea water for forming a mass culture.
In order to obtain uranium from sea water, a flow of sea water is passed through the matrix formed according to the invention.
According to another modification according to the present invention for the obtainment of uranium from sea water, the matrix arranged in a filter cage is provided in an area of the sea which is subjected to the tides so that the flows or currents caused by the low tide and high tide are passed through filter cages surrounding the matrix. The total cross section of the matrix should in such an instance be approximately 100 square meters in order that with the flow velocity in the sea water as it is caused on an average by the tides generally in the vicinity of the shore will generate a through-flow rate through the cage of 106t sea water per day.
The separation of ' .~

the ur~hium fro~ the ~atrix i~ carried out by oe~n~ of one of the custo~ary ~ethod# for in3tBno8 by extr~ction by mea~s of tributylphosphate.
~xample A~ ~tartiD~ material, unic~lled ~reen algae were used which ~er~ derived fro~ the sea water of the M~diterr~ean (L~E-cQla/Spain). Theso al~ae ~or~ introduc-d into a nutri~t solution for~d by a ~olutloD of 3.8 ~r~Ds ~a salt ~nd 0.03 ~ra~s NH4N03 in 100D1 water. Thi~ 801ution Wa8 pre~iously ~terilized aDd ~ub~equ~ntly wa~ ~djusted to an acidity of pH6.
Furth~r ore, 5~1 e~rth extracts ~re add~d to s~id solution.
Sub~equ-Dtly, uraDiu~ in the for of uranylnitrste w~ atded to the solutioD while the ddition of ur ~yl~itr te was i~-cr a~ed iD step~ up to a que~tity of 250~s/1 ur~niu~ The al~ae _ d~ co-patible ~ith ur niu in thi~ w~y wcre then ub-j ct-d to radiation by X-ray~, th~ do~e of w~ick was ~ppro~i-~tely 50~ at 120kV a~d 18~ During this radiatio~, ~n alu~-iDUa filt-r ha~in~ a thic~D-~ of 1 7 _ wa~ e~ployed Thn gr -n algae tr at-d in thi~ w~y w~re ~ub~equently poured onto ~r-pL~t-~ ~hich contaiDed tbe bov~ ~ Dtioaed nutri-nt solu-tion as w-ll as 500~U/1 ur~niuu Ths colonies thus for~cd were intlvidually inocuLated The thus obtainod ~in~le-celled cul-tur-s wer- t~ted ~- to their c~p~bility of receiving ur~niu~
To thi- end, th- abo~- ~oDtioDed fon~ed coloDie~ are ~ain iD--rted into nutrieDt Jolution of the abov- ~ ntion d cooposi-tlon ~Dd re further cultivat-d iD this ~anner ~he culture~
of ur niur co patible one-c~ d al~a- were tested as to ability to ta~- on or pic~ up uraniuo by in~ertin~ the ~a~e iDto ~-~

~38 ~ ~ ~
water which contain~d a co~centratio~ of less ~han 6ppb ur~ni-um. Thi~ solutioD was cha~od daily for ten dByJ. It wa~
fouod that the c~ntrifu~ed-off al~e hsd a ura~ium conteDt which i~ higher by a f~ctor of 1,000 thhn the uraniu~ co~t~nt of the mediu~ i~to which thR ~raniu~ co~patible al~ae were in-sert-d.
It i8, of course, to be understood thet the pre~ent i~en-tion i~, by DO ~eaD8~ li~ited to the Jpecif~c ~Xa~P1Q ~et forth a~o~e, but al~o co~prise~ any ~odificatiQns withi~ the ~cope of the pp~ded claims.
It ~ay al80 be mentionod that by "oar~h extr~ct" is to be ~ under~tood treatod hu~us soil. Mor- ~p~cifically, lk of humu~
~oil ha~ b--n ~ixed with 1 liter of water aad subjected to a t-~per ture of 100C. for two hour~, ~hereupon the water i~
filtered off. The thus obtai~ed ~ub~tance i~ the earth extr~ct invol~ed.
With resard to thc proc-~s stop of ~ubj-ctiag the al~ae to ~n X-ray radiati , the radiation ti~e ~ay vary fro~ a few J conds to a f-w hour~, d-p-DdiS on the al~a~ and oth~r cir-CU 8tanc-~ involved. Tho 8aiD point i~ that th~ total do~e of X-ray radiaticn ad~iDist-r-d to the lgae i~ 50kR or about 50k~.

Claims (3)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive proper-ty or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. A method of preparing a matrix comprising in combi-nation mutants for single cell green algae to be cultivated compatible with uranium and suitable for extracting uranium dissolved in sea water, which includes the steps of: intro-ducing the algae into a sterilized nutrient solution adjusted to an acidity of ph 6, and formed of 3.8 grams sea salt, 0.03 grams of NH4NO3 as well as 5ml earth extracts in 100 ml water, introducing in steps into the thus obtained solution uranium in the form of uranylnitrate until the quantity of uranium has been enriched to 250mg/1, subjecting the algae to X-ray radia-tion at a dose of approximately 50 kR, pouring the algae onto agar plates formed by employing a solution of 3.8 grams sea salt and 0.03 grams of NH4NO3 and 5ml earth extracts in 100 ml water, inoculating the thus forming colonies individually and further cultivating the same in a nutrient solution formed by the solution of 3.8 grams sea salt and 0.03 grams NH4NO3 and 5ml earth extracts in 100 ml water.
2. A method of extracting uranium from sea water com-prising passing uranium-containing sea water through the matrix prepared by the method of claim 1.
3. A uranium-compatible matrix prepared by the method of claim 1.
CA208,766A 1973-09-08 1974-09-09 Matrix of algae and method of making same and method of obtaining uranium from sea water by said matrix Expired CA1038168A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE19732345430 DE2345430C3 (en) 1973-09-08 Process for the production of unicellular green algae suitable for the extraction of uranium and the use thereof for the extraction of uranium
DE2441479A DE2441479B1 (en) 1974-08-30 1974-08-30 Uranium extraction from seawater - by passing seawater through an algae culture in high concn of uranium

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1038168A true CA1038168A (en) 1978-09-12

Family

ID=25765765

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA208,766A Expired CA1038168A (en) 1973-09-08 1974-09-09 Matrix of algae and method of making same and method of obtaining uranium from sea water by said matrix

Country Status (4)

Country Link
JP (1) JPS5073810A (en)
CA (1) CA1038168A (en)
FR (1) FR2243264B1 (en)
GB (1) GB1472626A (en)

Families Citing this family (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE2509943C3 (en) * 1975-03-07 1978-03-23 Kernforschungsanlage Juelich Gmbh, 5170 Juelich Production of a matrix from cultivable microorganisms
JPS5391101U (en) * 1976-12-25 1978-07-26
JPS53118587A (en) * 1977-03-24 1978-10-17 Gerumatsukusu Kk Production of algae containing germanium
JPH0277535A (en) * 1988-09-13 1990-03-16 Koji Sakaguchi Method for recovering actinoid elements
JPH02118035A (en) * 1988-10-26 1990-05-02 Ajinomoto Co Inc Uranium adsorbent
AUPO585197A0 (en) * 1997-03-25 1997-04-24 McKenna, William James Oil collecting mat and method
FR2956408B1 (en) 2010-02-12 2014-10-17 Commissariat Energie Atomique NEW RADIORESISTANT ALGAE OF THE GENUS COCCOMYXA
FR3005062B1 (en) 2013-04-25 2016-03-11 Commissariat Energie Atomique NEW RADIORESISTANT ALGAE OF THE GENUS COCCOMYXA
ES2633038B2 (en) * 2017-03-29 2018-01-30 Universidad Complutense De Madrid Microorganism of the Mediterranean Tetraselmis species (CEPA TmmRU) and its use for the production of enriched uranium

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB1472626A (en) 1977-05-04
FR2243264A1 (en) 1975-04-04
FR2243264B1 (en) 1978-03-24
JPS5073810A (en) 1975-06-18

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