Adsorption and separation of Re(VII) using trimethylamine-functionalized strong base anion exchange resin

A new strong base anion exchange resin (LSL-1) was synthesized by grafting trimethylamine groups onto polystyrene-divinylbenzene microspheres and used for the selective recovery of Re(VII) from U(VI)-containing effluent. The morphology and structural properties of LSL-1 were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The adsorption mechanism is discussed. In both batch and column experiments, LSL-1 showed excellent enrichment capacity for Re(VII). This study demonstrates a new approach for the separation and recovery of Re(VII) from U(VI)-containing effluent by using amino-modified polystyrene-divinylbenzene microspheres.