Scientists at the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, say they have developed new materials for extracting uranium from seawater, with results published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials and Separation and Purification Technology.
The South China Morning Post reported on September 4 that the Chinese method is several times more efficient than a target set by the U.S. Department of Energy, potentially putting China ahead in efforts to tap this vast nuclear fuel source. State-run Science Daily, in a September 2 report on the same findings, described how researchers used a novel molecular design approach to create a phosphate-functionalized porous material called PhosCage, later combined with aramid nanofibers into composite aerogel microspheres (AC-POC) resistant to biofouling.
According to the Science Daily account, PhosCage reached adsorption equilibrium within five minutes in lab tests and achieved a uranium capacity of 50.4 mg/g in real seawater samples — 8.4 times the DOE benchmark. The AC-POC microspheres, tested continuously for 15 days in natural seawater, achieved a dynamic capacity of 22.55 mg/g, 3.8 times the benchmark, while their negative surface charge reportedly suppressed microbial attachment.
The report noted China’s growing reliance on imported uranium, citing World Nuclear Association data showing domestic mines produced 1,600 tonnes in 2024 against reactor demand of roughly 13,000 tonnes. It also recalled earlier, less successful U.S. efforts at Oak Ridge and Pacific Northwest National Laboratories, where costs remained far above land-based mining.
Both outlets noted limitations: tests used only 25 liters (about 6.6 gallons) of near-shore Qingdao seawater in a lab system rather than open-ocean conditions, and neither study priced the recovered uranium. Researchers said future work will focus on scaling up production and cutting costs.
Source: Guancha.cn, September 5, 2026
https://www.guancha.cn/industry-science/2026_09_05_830106.shtml