Continuous process for the production of powdered uranium dioxide from uranyl nitrate
A method is described of producing uranium dioxide powder for the fabrication of nuclear fuel from acidic solutions containing uranyl nitrate, comprising the sequence of steps of: (a) continuously reacting an acidic aqueous solution of uranyl nitrate with ammonium hydroxide added in less than stoichiometric amount for complete uranium precipitation, neutralizing any free acid and precipitating a portion of the uranium content of the solution as ammonium uranate solids; (b) continuously aging the product resulting from reacting the uranyl nitrate of the solution with less than a stoichiometric amount of ammonium hydroxide, including the precipitated ammonium uranate solids while maintaining the solids substantially suspended in the medium of the aqueous solution; (c) thereafter continuously reacting the aged product comprising uranyl nitrate and precipitated ammonium uranate with additional added ammonium hydroxide in amount at least sufficient to complete the precipitation of the uranium of the solution as ammonium uranate solids; and (e) calcining the dewatered ammonium uranate solids in a reducing atmosphere and thereby converting the ammonium uranate solids in a reducing atmosphere and thereby converting the ammonium uranate to uranium dioxide powder.
- Assignee:
- General Electric Co., San Jose, CA
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4656015
- Application Number:
- TRN: 87-019478
- OSTI ID:
- 6564856
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: Filed date 17 Sep 1984
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
AMMONIUM URANATES
PRECIPITATION
NUCLEAR FUELS
FABRICATION
URANIUM DIOXIDE
CHEMICAL PREPARATION
URANYL NITRATES
AGING
ADDITIVES
AMMONIUM HYDROXIDES
AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS
CALCINATION
CHEMICAL REACTION YIELD
CONTROLLED ATMOSPHERES
POWDERS
STOICHIOMETRY
URANIUM
WATER REMOVAL
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ACTINIDES
AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
ATMOSPHERES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DECOMPOSITION
DISPERSIONS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
FUELS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXIDES
MATERIALS
METALS
MIXTURES
NITRATES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PYROLYSIS
REACTOR MATERIALS
REMOVAL
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLUTIONS
SYNTHESIS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
URANATES
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM OXIDES
URANYL COMPOUNDS
YIELDS
050700* - Nuclear Fuels- Fuels Production & Properties