Low-cost synthesis of cellular materials with preformed foam for uranium (VI) adsorption

Abstract In order to realize low cost post-processing sorbent for uranium-containing wastewater, the rational design of architectures and deliberate integration of cellular materials are imperative. In this work, we present a simple strategy for preparing cellular materials with bentonite modified Portland cement (BT/PC) composite, by using preformed foam in BT/PC slurry, which can facilitate the connection of the adjacent pores and benefit from the larger specific surface area of the matrix. The adsorption capacity and efficiency of the cellular materials were investigated via static adsorption for uranium solution. It shows that the adsorption efficiency reached to 96.97% while the adsorption capacity got to 242.47 mg/g with 0.3 g sorbent, which manifests great potential for uranium-containing wastewater treatment.