Chinese Academy of Sciences researchers have developed PhosCage, a sponge-like material designed to extract uranium directly from seawater.

 

Chinese Academy of Sciences researchers have developed PhosCage, a sponge-like material designed to extract uranium directly from seawater.

PhosCage captured up to 50.4mg of uranium per gram from natural seawater, more than 8 times the U.S. Department of Energy’s 6mg-per-gram target.

Researchers also turned the material into millimetre-sized beads, making it easier to deploy and recover in the open ocean.

The beads captured 22.55mg of uranium per gram and continued working after 7 reuse cycles, showing potential for practical deployment.

The breakthrough could help China access seawater as a vast new uranium source, potentially supporting its growing nuclear power needs and reducing reliance on imported uranium

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