Uranium value leaching with ammonium carbonate and/or bicarbonate plus nitrate oxidant and optionally oxidation-catalytic metal compounds

Patent · Tue Sep 20 00:00:00 EDT 1983

OSTI ID:5514731

Stapp, P R

In accordance with the present invention, uranium values are extracted from solid materials containing uranium in lower valence states than its hexavalent state comprising contacting the solid materials containing uranium with an alkaline leach solution containing the ionic species NH/sub 4//sup +/ and NO/sub 3//sup -/ in an amount sufficient to convert at least a portion of the uranium in valence states lower than its hexavalent state to its hexavalent state. In another embodiment of the present invention, the aqueous alkaline leach solution is an aqueous solution of a carbonate selected from the group consisting of ammonium carbonate, ammonium bicarbonate and mixtures thereof. In a further embodiment, ionic species NO/sub 3//sup -/ is supplied by an alkaline nitrate. In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the aqueous alkaline leach solution additionally contains at least one catalytic compound of a metal selected from the group consisting of copper, cobalt, iron, nickel, chromium and mixtures thereof adapted to assure the pesence of the ionic species Cu/sup + +/, Co/sup + +/, Fe/sup + + +/, Ni/sup + +/, Cr/sup + + +/ and mixtures thereof, respectively, is present during the contacting of the solid materials containing uranium with the aqueous alkaline leach solution in an amount sufficient to catalyze the oxidation of at least a part of the uranium in valence states lower than its hexavalent state to its hexavalent state.

• Assignee: Phillips Petroleum Co.
• Patent Number(s): US 4405567
• OSTI ID: 5514731
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050400* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Feed Processing
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
ACTINIDES
AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBONATES
CATALYSTS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DISSOLUTION
ELEMENTS
EXTRACTION
IN-SITU PROCESSING
LEACHING
METALS
NITRATES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
ORES
OXIDATION
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PROCESSING
RECOVERY
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
URANIUM
URANIUM ORES