Process for recovery of uranium from wet process phosphoric acid
Process is claimed for the recovery of uranium from wet process phosphoric acid solution in which an organic extractant, containing uranium values and dissolved iron impurities and comprising a dialkylphosphoric acid and a trialkylphosphine oxide dissolved in a water immiscible organic solvent, is contacted with a substantially iron-free dilute aqueous phosphoric acid to remove said iron impurities. The removed impurities are bled from the system by feeding the resulting iron-loaded phosphoric acid to a secondary countercurrent uranium extraction operation from which they leave as part of the uranium-depleted acid raffinate. Also, process for recovering uranium in which the extractant, after it has been stripped of uranium values by aqueous ammonium carbonate, is contacted with a dilute aqueous acid selected from the group consisting of H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/, HCl, HNO/sub 3/ and iron-free H/sub 3/PO/sub 4/ to improve the extraction efficiency of the organic extractant.
- Assignee:
- Freeport Minerals Co.
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4105741
- OSTI ID:
- 6792956
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400105 -- Separation Procedures
ACTINIDES
ELEMENTS
EXTRACTION
HYDROCHLORIC ACID
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
METALS
NITRIC ACID
PHOSPHORIC ACID
RECOVERY
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
SULFURIC ACID
URANIUM