SPECIAL PROBLEMS ARISING IN CONNECTION WITH THE PRODUCTION OF URANIUM METAL AND URANIUM COMPOUNDS

Technical Report · Sat Oct 31 04:00:00 EST 1959

OSTI ID:4261942

Wirths, G; Ziehl, L

Apparatus and auxiliary equipment of a pilot plant for the manufacture of reactor-grade uranium motal from uranium concentrate are described. The purification of the uranium is done by a liquid-liquid extraction with tri-n- butyl phosphate, partly with centrifugal separators, partly with columns of special design. Exact data about the performance of these installations are given. Particular attention has been devoted to the precipitation of uranium from pure uranyl nitrate solution. Both the precipitation with hydrogen peroxide and with gaseous ammonia have been investigated to obtain the required purity with a high yield on one hand and precipitates on the other, which are, in regard to their grain shape, grain size, and grain size distribution particularly suitable for the technological processes following precipitation. In contrast to the hitherto known methods, the precipitation of ammonium uranate is done by the introduction of a mixture of gaseous ammonia and air into the uranyl nitrate solution. It is shown that various precipitates can be obtained by alteration of the conditions prevailing during precipitation. Data are given on the purity of the uranium peroxide and ammonium uranate obtained. Processing of ammonium uranate to urarium tetrafluoride is done via calcination, reduction with hydrogen, and interaction with water-free hydrofluoric acid. For the two last stages a rotary kiln-type equipment is used. Reduction of uranium tetrafluoride to uranium metal is done by metallic calcium, the quality of which is thorsughly characterized. The container for the calciothermic reaction is described, and the results obtained are discussed. Finally, data are given on the change of nuclear purity over all stages of refining. (auth)

• Research Organization: Degussa Wolfgang near Hanau a.M., Ger.
• NSA Number: NSA-13-007303
• OSTI ID: 4261942
• Report Number(s): A/CONF.15/P/1001
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

AIR
AMMONIA
AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
BUTYL RADICALS
CALCINATION
CALCIUM
CENTRIFUGATION
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DISTRIBUTION
EFFICIENCY
ENRICHMENT
EXTRACTION COLUMNS
FABRICATION
GASES
GRAIN SIZE
HYDROFLUORIC ACID
HYDROGEN
HYDROGEN PEROXIDES
IMPURITIES
LIQUIDS
MIXING
OXIDES
PERFORMANCE
PEROXIDES
PHOSPHATES
PILOT PLANT
PLANNING
PRECIPITATION
PRODUCTION
PYROLYSIS
QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS
REDUCTION
REFINING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
TECHNOLOGY
URANATES
URANIUM
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM OXIDES
URANIUM TETRAFLUORIDE
URANYL NITRATES
USES
VARIATIONS