Continuous process for the production of powdered uranium dioxide from uranyl nitrate

Patent · Tue Apr 07 04:00:00 EDT 1987

OSTI ID:6564856

Divins, L A; Runion, H L

A method is described of producing uranium dioxide powder for the fabrication of nuclear fuel from acidic solutions containing uranyl nitrate, comprising the sequence of steps of: (a) continuously reacting an acidic aqueous solution of uranyl nitrate with ammonium hydroxide added in less than stoichiometric amount for complete uranium precipitation, neutralizing any free acid and precipitating a portion of the uranium content of the solution as ammonium uranate solids; (b) continuously aging the product resulting from reacting the uranyl nitrate of the solution with less than a stoichiometric amount of ammonium hydroxide, including the precipitated ammonium uranate solids while maintaining the solids substantially suspended in the medium of the aqueous solution; (c) thereafter continuously reacting the aged product comprising uranyl nitrate and precipitated ammonium uranate with additional added ammonium hydroxide in amount at least sufficient to complete the precipitation of the uranium of the solution as ammonium uranate solids; and (e) calcining the dewatered ammonium uranate solids in a reducing atmosphere and thereby converting the ammonium uranate solids in a reducing atmosphere and thereby converting the ammonium uranate to uranium dioxide powder.

• Assignee: General Electric Co., San Jose, CA
• Patent Number(s): US 4656015
• OSTI ID: 6564856
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050700* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Fuels Production & Properties
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ACTINIDES
ADDITIVES
AGING
AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
AMMONIUM HYDROXIDES
AMMONIUM URANATES
AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS
ATMOSPHERES
CALCINATION
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL PREPARATION
CHEMICAL REACTION YIELD
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CONTROLLED ATMOSPHERES
DECOMPOSITION
DISPERSIONS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
FABRICATION
FUELS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXIDES
MATERIALS
METALS
MIXTURES
NITRATES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NUCLEAR FUELS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POWDERS
PRECIPITATION
PYROLYSIS
REACTOR MATERIALS
REMOVAL
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLUTIONS
STOICHIOMETRY
SYNTHESIS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
URANATES
URANIUM
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM DIOXIDE
URANIUM OXIDES
URANYL COMPOUNDS
URANYL NITRATES
WATER REMOVAL
YIELDS