Uranium complex recycling method of purifying uranium liquors. [ceramic grade U by recycling (NH/sub 4/)/sub 4/UO/sub 2/(CO/sub 3/)/sub 3/ from wet-process phosphoric acid]
Uranium is separated from contaminating cations in an aqueous liquor containing uranyl ions. The liquor is mixed with sufficient recycled uranium complex to raise the weight ratio of uranium to said cations preferably to at least about three. The liquor is then extracted with at least enough non-interfering, water-immiscible, organic solvent to theoretically extract about all of the uranium in the liquor. The organic solvent contains a reagent which reacts with the uranyl ions to form a complex soluble in the solvent. If the aqueous liquor is acidic, the organic solvent is then scrubbed with water. The organic solvent is stripped with a solution containing at least enough ammonium carbonate to precipitate the uranium complex. A portion of the uranium complex is recycled and the remainder can be collected and calcined to produce U/sub 3/O/sub 8/ or UO/sub 2/.
- Assignee:
- Westinghouse Electric Corp.
- Patent Number(s):
- US 3966873
- OSTI ID:
- 7352170
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Process for the recovery of uranium from wet-process phosphoric acid
Recovery of uranium from wet-process phosphoric acid
Related Subjects
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY
400105 -- Separation Procedures
400702 -- Radiochemistry & Nuclear Chemistry-- Properties of Radioactive Materials
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ACTINIDES
AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS
DISPERSIONS
ELEMENTS
EXTRACTION
FERTILIZERS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
INTERFERING ELEMENTS
METALS
MIXTURES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC PHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS
PHOSPHORIC ACID
PURIFICATION
RECOVERY
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLUTIONS
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
TOPO
URANIUM
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANYL COMPOUNDS