IIT Roorkee reports acid-resistant nanocomposite for uranium recovery from acidic wastewater

IIT Roorkee researchers have developed an acid-resistant magnetic nanocomposite to recover uranium and rare earth elements (REEs) from highly acidic wastewater, including acid mine drainage and nuclear effluent. The work, published in the Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, targets a key limitation of earlier nanomaterials, which can corrode and lose performance in low-pH conditions.

The approach encapsulates active magnetic nanoparticles within a porous silica protective shell. The protective layer is described as shielding the magnetic core from acid corrosion while still enabling chemical capture of target elements. Laboratory results reported that the material can recover up to 370 gms of uranium and REEs per kg of nanomaterial.

The researchers also report high extraction efficiency over five consecutive adsorption–desorption cycles, indicating potential for repeated use in treatment settings.

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DOE advances Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus concept, signs MOUs with five states

States invited to explore hosting NLIC facilities

The Department of Energy launched the Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus (NLIC) program by inviting states, through a request for information, to express their interest in hosting a facility that could support work from the front end to the back end of the fuel life cycle.

By April, 26 states had expressed interest in hosting such a facility, indicating broad initial engagement with the program’s concept.

DOE signs memorandums of understanding with five states

At the end of July, the DOE signed memorandums of understanding with five states—Idaho, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Utah—to more closely explore state-federal partnership possibilities.

The MOUs are described as exploratory rather than firm commitments from either the federal or state governments, with future selections dependent on whether any of the states develop projects through the program.

What happens next

The announcement frames the NLIC effort as a set of early partnership steps rather than decisions on specific facilities or projects. Over time, it will become clearer which, if any, of the five states move forward with NLIC-related proposals.

In the meantime, reporting highlights that Oklahoma and Louisiana have preexisting nuclear sector capabilities that could potentially support new fuel cycle developments, though the extent of any eventual role under NLIC is not stated in the source.