Ammonium carbonate and/or bicarbonate plus alkaline chlorate oxidant for recovery of uranium values

Patent · Tue Sep 06 00:00:00 EDT 1983

OSTI ID:5597969

Stapp, P R

In accordance with the present invention, uranium values are extracted from materials containing uranium in valence states lower than its hexavalent state by contacting the materials containing uranium with an aqueous alkaline leach solution containing an alkaline chlorate in an amount sufficient to oxidize at least a portion of the uranium in valence states lower than its hexavalent state to its hexavalent state. In a further embodiment of the present invention, the alkaline leach solution is an aqueous solution of a carbonate selected from the group consisting of ammonium carbonate, ammonium bicarbonate and mixtures thereof. In yet another embodiment of the present invention, 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 presence of the ionic species Cu/sup + +/, Co/sup + +/, Fe/sup + + +/, Ni/sup + +/, Cr/sup + + +/ and mixtures thereof, respectively, during the contacting of the material containing uranium with the alkaline leach solution and in an amount sufficient to catalyze the oxidation of at least a portion of the uranium in its lower valence states to its hexavalent state, is present.

• Assignee: Phillips Petroleum Co.
• Patent Number(s): US 4402921
• OSTI ID: 5597969
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050400* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Feed Processing
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
ACTINIDES
AMMONIUM CARBONATES
AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBONATES
CHLORATES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
DISSOLUTION
ELEMENTS
EXTRACTION
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
LEACHING
METALS
ORES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RECOVERY
SEPARATION PROCESSES
URANIUM
URANIUM ORES