PNNL

Abstract

The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has a level 3 milestone (M3FT-15PN0310055) to “Complete testing of a braided material with unfiltered seawater and issue a report on effect on adsorption capacity and kinetics”. There is a companion level 3 Milestone Report (M3FT-15PN0310057) entitled “Impact of Marine Biofouling on the Adsorption Capacity and Kinetics of Amidoxime-Based Uranium Adsorbent Materials” that is being conducted simultaneously with this effort. The major objectives of these efforts is to evaluate the performance of adsorption material when it is exposed to natural marine biofouling as it would be when the technology is used in the marine environment. The main performance criteria are adsorption capacity and kinetics. The effect of biofouling will be evaluated based on comparison with experiments conducted in the absence of biofouling. This current report will focus on adsorption capacity and kinetics and the companion report will delve deeper into understanding the nature and characteristics of the biofouling as it relates to adsorbent performance in real seawater.