Rhamnolipid-Based Remediation Technologies for Uranium and Rare Earth Element Contamination

美国西南部的铀矿开采给数千个遗留矿场留下了被铀污染的土壤。 这些土壤正在污染邻近的水和土地资源，进而对人类和 环境健康。仅在纳瓦霍民族，就有500多个废弃的铀矿场和 12.8%的检测水源地超过国家饮用水标准。铀也是现代社会面临的一个挑战 采矿作业，因为在针对其他金属的选矿活动中，它经常是一种污染物。 除了铀，稀土元素(REE)也经常作为污染物存在于煤和一些硬质矿物中。 岩石开采作业。由于国际市场动荡和中国主导市场供应， 由于稀土对消费者的重要性，国内开发替代稀土来源的兴趣 电子、可再生能源技术和国防。尽管表示有采矿的需要 行业和联邦监管机构缺乏既便宜又专用于铀和稀土的技术。 通过第一阶段的研究，GlycoSurf已经展示了两种能够选择性去除 从复杂的采矿解决方案中提取铀和稀土。第一种是离子浮选过程，其中GlycoSurf的 适当的表面活性剂与曝气处理溶液中的目标金属形成络合物。金属从金属中分离出来 作为金属-表面活性剂络合物的大量溶液附着在上升到溶液表面的气泡上以供收集 作为一种金属精矿泡沫。第二种技术是通过将固体功能化而产生的吸附材料 使用GlycoSurf专有表面活性剂的介质。在这个第二阶段的项目中，GlycoSurf的目标是展示 这些技术在大型水处理应用中的商业潜力：1)扩大反应堆规模 尺寸，2)开发连续流动操作和测试的处理工艺，以及3)合成更多 性价比高的糖脂。亚利桑那大学和韦恩州立大学作为研究伙伴， GlycoSurf将通过4个目标来完成这个项目。目前，离子浮选已成功地应用于 在小批量生产中进行了示范。目标1将开发和扩大连续离子浮选 使用必和必拓矿业公司和美国能源部提供的真实金属解决方案的过程 能量。目标2将专注于扩大鼠李糖脂功能化吸附材料的生产和 开发一种使用现实世界采矿解决方案将面临挑战的处理过程。减少的需要 GlycoSurf表面活性剂的材料成本将是目标3的重点。在这个目标中，GlycoSurf将重点关注成本 通过以下方式减少：1)简化合成过程，2)使用替代原料，3)增加 生产规模，实现规模节约。目标4与审查经济可行性和 使用技术经济方法在该第二阶段项目中开发技术的商业潜力。

Uranium mining in the U.S. Southwest has left thousands of legacy mining sites with uranium-contaminated soils. These soils are polluting adjacent water and land resources that, in turn, pose serious threats to human and environmental health. On the Navajo Nation alone, there are over 500 abandoned uranium mining sites and 12.8% of tested water sources exceed national drinking water standards. Uranium is also a challenge for modern mining operations as it is often present as a contaminant in mineral processing activities targeting other metals. In addition to uranium, rare earth elements (REE) are also often found as contaminants in coal and some hard- rock mining operations. Due to volatile international markets and Chinese domination of market supply, there is interest in developing alternative REE sources domestically due to the importance of REE to consumer electronics, renewable energy technologies, and national defense. Despite expressed need from the mining industry and federal regulators, technology that is both inexpensive and specific to uranium and REE is lacking. Through Phase I research, GlycoSurf has demonstrated two technologies capable of the selective removal of uranium and REE from complex mining solutions. The first is an ion flotation process wherein GlycoSurf’s propriety surfactants complex with target metals in aerated treatment solutions. Metals are separated from the bulk solutions as the metal-surfactant complex attaches to air bubbles rising to the solution surface for collection as a metal-concentrate foam. The second technology is an adsorbent material generated by functionalizing solid media with GlycoSurf’s proprietary surfactants. In this Phase II project, GlycoSurf’s objective is to demonstrate the commercial potential of these technologies for large water treatment applications by: 1) up-scaling reactor size, 2) developing treatment processes for continuous flow operations and testing, and 3) synthesizing more cost-effective glycolipids. With the University of Arizona and Wayne State University as research partners, GlycoSurf will accomplish this project through 4 aims. Currently, ion flotation has successfully been demonstrated in small-volume batch operation. Aim 1 will develop and up-scale a continuous ion flotation process using real-world metalliferous solutions supplied by BHP mining company and the U.S. Department of Energy. Aim 2 will focus on up-scaling production of rhamnolipid-functionalized adsorbent materials and developing a treatment process that will be challenged using real-world mining solutions. The need to reduce materials costs of GlycoSurf surfactants will be the focus of Aim 3. In this aim, GlycoSurf will focus on cost reductions through: 1) streamlining the synthesis process, 2) use of alternate starting materials, and 3) increasing the scale of production to realize economy-of-scale savings. Aim 4 with examine the economic feasibility and commercial potential of technology developments in this Phase II project using a techno-economic approach.