SEPARATION OF URANIUM FROM THORIUM AND PROTACTINIUM

Patent · Tue Jun 30 00:00:00 EDT 1959

OSTI ID:4215009

Musgrave, W K.R.

This patent relates to the separation of uranium from thorium and protactinium; such mixtures of elements usually being obtained by neutron irradiation of thorium. The method of separating the constituents has been first to dissolve the mixture of elements in concertrated nitric acid and then to remove the protactinium by absorption on manganese dioxide and the uranium by solvent extraction with ether. Prior to now, comparatively large amounts of thorium were extracted with the uranium. According to the invention this is completely prevented by adding sodium diethyldithiocarbamate to the mixture of soluble nitrate salts. The organic salt has the effect of reacting only with the uranyl nitrate to form the corresponding uranyl salt which can then be selectively extracted from the mixture with amyl acetate.

• Research Organization: Originating Research Org. not identified
• NSA Number: NSA-13-022168
• Assignee: U.S. Atomic Energy Commission
• Patent Number(s): US 2892677
• OSTI ID: 4215009
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-59
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

CHEMISTRY
ACETATES
ACIDITY
ADSORPTION
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMICALS
ETHERS
ETHYL RADICALS
HYDROCARBONS
IRRADIATION
MANGANESE OXIDES
MIXING
NEUTRON BEAMS
NITRIC ACID
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
PATENT
PROTACTINIUM
PROTACTINIUM COMPOUNDS
QUANTITY RATIO
RECOVERY
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
SOLUBILITY
SOLUTIONS
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
SOLVENTS
THORIUM
THORIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANYL COMPOUNDS
URANYL NITRATES