URANIUM DECONTAMINATION

Patent · Tue Dec 22 04:00:00 EST 1959

OSTI ID:4187031

Buckingham, J S; Carroll, J L

A process is described for reducing the extractability of ruthenium, zirconium, and niobium values into hexone contained in an aqueous nitric acid uranium-containing solution. The solution is made acid-deficient, heated to between 55 and 70 deg C, and at that temperature a water-soluble inorganic thiosulfate is added. By this, a precipitate is formed which carries the bulk of the ruthenium, and the remainder of the ruthenium as well as the zirconium and niobium are converted to a hexone-nonextractable form. The rutheniumcontaining precipitate can either be removed from the solu tion or it can be dissolved as a hexone-non-extractable compound by the addition of sodium dichromate prior to hexone extraction.

• Research Organization: Originating Research Org. not identified
• NSA Number: NSA-14-007482
• Assignee: U.S. Atomic Energy Commission
• Patent Number(s): US 2918350
• OSTI ID: 4187031
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

CHEMISTRY
CHROMATES
DECONTAMINATION
HEATING
HEXANE
KETONES
NIOBIUM
NITRIC ACID
PRECIPITATION
RUTHENIUM
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
SOLUBILITY
SOLUTIONS
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
SULFATES
TEMPERATURE
THIOSULFATES
URANIUM
WATER
ZIRCONIUM