Scientists Develop Method to Extract Uranium from Seawater

The world's oceans, containing nearly 1,000 times more uranium than terrestrial reserves, could become a sustainable source of nuclear fuel.

Chinese scientists have developed a method to extract uranium from seawater, potentially providing a vast, untapped source of nuclear fuel.
The extraction process involves an electrode coated in a cloth made of a mix of materials that enables the efficient extraction of uranium ions from seawater.
The researchers extracted 12.6 milligrams of uranium per gram of water over 24 days.
The world's oceans are estimated to contain 4.5 billion tons of uranium, nearly 1,000 times larger than terrestrial uranium reserves.
The technique could be scaled up and used to operate a facility floating on the ocean surface that could be powered by solar, tidal or wind energy.