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U.S. Department of Energy
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Uranium

Book ·
OSTI ID:894852
The two important oxidation states for uranium in natural environments are 4+ and 6+. Compounds containing quadrivalent uranium are insoluble in mildly acidic to alkaline conditions; whereas, those containing the linearly uranyl moiety (O=U=O)2+, are highly soluble and mobile. In solution, UO22+ forms soluble complexes with carbonate, oxalate, and hydroxide; UO22+ is also highly susceptible to adsorption either by organic matter, Fe oxyhydroxides, or precipitation with various anions, such as silicate, vanadate, arsenate, and phosphate. In ground water systems U(VI) is reduced to U(IV) if an effective reductant is present, such as H2S. Other reducing agents may be fossil plants, methane, and transported humic material. Uranium minerals display an extraordinary range structural and chemical variability, resulting from the different chemical conditions under which U minerals are formed.
Research Organization:
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (US)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
894852
Report Number(s):
PNNL-SA-43501
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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