Research of Organomineral Sorbents Based on Shungite of Kazakhstan

Abstract

Kazakhstan ranks second in the world in terms of natural uranium reserves and dominates in its production. Hydrometallurgical processing of uranium-containing raw materials generate a large amount of liquid technogenic waste, which are waste solutions requiring disposal. Sorption methods fall under the group of the most effective methods for purifying liquids from contamination with radionuclides. Synthetic sorbents are expensive, and the natural ones have low sorption capacity, which represents a disadvantage in their usage. Obtaining modified ion-exchange materials based on their combination is an urgent problem faced by the nuclear industry.

The paper discusses a modifying method applicable to natural coal and mineral raw materials in Kazakhstan. The Koksu deposit shungite was selected for the research. Source raw materials were subjected to flotation. The paper introduces data obtained from physical and chemical studies of the source raw materials and the derived concentrate. A modified sorbent was derived based on the concentrate, and its sorption capacity was studied.