Oxygen-17 NMR studies on uranium (VI) hydrolysis and gelation

Conference · Sat Dec 30 23:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:10132273

King, R B ^[1]; King, C M ^[2]; Garber, A R ^[3]

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1. Georgia Univ., Athens, GA (United States). Dept. of Chemistry
2. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States)
3. South Carolina Univ., Columbia, SC (United States). Dept. of Chemistry

Hydrolysis and gelation processes in uranyl solutions are observed using the strong sharp uranyl oxygen-17 resonance. The ability to follow the hydrolysis of uranyl salts by observation of the sharp uranyl oxygen-17 resonance provides a clear indication of the dependence of uranyl hydrolysis on the counteranion (nitrate versus chloride) but not on the means of introducing hydroxide into the solution (Me{sub 4}NOH versus R{sub 3}N extraction). In addition, two different pathways for gelation are suggested. In the first pathway the uranyl hydrolysis is conducted with a base (HMTA in these studies) which preferentially forms trimeric (UO{sub 2}){sub 3} ({mu}{sub 3}-O) units which can then condense into the polymeric UO{sub 2}O{sub 6/3} layers of a gel based on the hexagonal structure of {proportional_to}UO{sub 2}(OH){sub 2}. In the second gelation pathway a uranyl derivative is treated with excess hydroxide in the absence of a metal or hydrogen-bonding ammonium cations which form insoluble solids uranates. Consensation of the resulting solution of soluble UO{sub 2}(OH)n{sup 2-n} anions can then lead to a similar polymer UO{sub 2}O{sub 4/2} or UO{sub 2}O{sub 6/3} structure of a gel. 9 refs., 2 figs.

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States); National Science Foundation, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-89SR18035; AC09-76SR00001
• OSTI ID: 10132273
• Report Number(s): WSRC-RP--89-1097; CONF-900466--106; ON: DE92009839; CNN: Grant: CHE-8904942
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050700
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400201
ALKALINE HYDROLYSIS
CHEMICAL AND PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES
DIMERS
FABRICATION
FUELS PRODUCTION AND PROPERTIES
GELATION
MONOMERS
NMR SPECTRA
OXYGEN 17
POLYMERS
URANIUM DIOXIDE
URANIUM OXIDES
URANYL CHLORIDES
UROTROPIN