PROCESS OF RECOVERING URANIUM FROM ITS ORES
Abstract
A process is presented for recovering uranium from its ores. The crushed ore is mixed with 5 to 10% of sulfuric acid and added water to about 5 to 30% of the weight of the ore. This pugged material is cured for 2 to 3 hours at 100 to 110 deg C and then cooled. The cooled mass is nitrate-conditioned by mixing with a solution equivalent to 35 pounds of ammunium nitrate and 300 pounds of water per ton of ore. The resulting pulp containing 70% or more solids is treated by upflow percolation with a 5% solution of tributyl phosphate in kerosene at a rate equivalent to a residence time of about one hour to extract the solubilized uranium. The uranium is recovered from the pregnant organic liquid by counter-current washing with water. The organic extractant may be recycled. The uranium is removed from the water solution by treating with ammonia to precipitate ammonium diuranate. The filtrate from the last step may be recycled for the nitrate-conditioning treatment.
- Inventors:
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Originating Research Org. not identified
- OSTI Identifier:
- 4242594
- Patent Number(s):
- 2875023
- Assignee:
- U.S. Atomic Energy Commission
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
C - CHEMISTRY C22 - METALLURGY C22B - PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS
- NSA Number:
- NSA-13-015820
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-59
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- TECHNOLOGY; AMMONIA; AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS; BUTYL PHOSPHATES; CHEMICAL REACTIONS; COOLING; COUNTER CURRENT; FILTERS; HEATING; HYDROCARBONS; KEROSENE; LIQUIDS; MIXING; NITRATES; PRECIPITATION; QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS; RECOVERY; REPROCESSING; SLURRIES; SOLIDS; SOLUTIONS; SOLVENT EXTRACTION; SULFURIC ACID; TEMPERATURE; URANATES; URANIUM; URANIUM ORES; WATER; WEIGHT
Citation Formats
Galvanek, P Jr. PROCESS OF RECOVERING URANIUM FROM ITS ORES. United States: N. p., 1959.
Web.
Galvanek, P Jr. PROCESS OF RECOVERING URANIUM FROM ITS ORES. United States.
Galvanek, P Jr. Tue .
"PROCESS OF RECOVERING URANIUM FROM ITS ORES". United States.
@article{osti_4242594,
title = {PROCESS OF RECOVERING URANIUM FROM ITS ORES},
author = {Galvanek, P Jr},
abstractNote = {A process is presented for recovering uranium from its ores. The crushed ore is mixed with 5 to 10% of sulfuric acid and added water to about 5 to 30% of the weight of the ore. This pugged material is cured for 2 to 3 hours at 100 to 110 deg C and then cooled. The cooled mass is nitrate-conditioned by mixing with a solution equivalent to 35 pounds of ammunium nitrate and 300 pounds of water per ton of ore. The resulting pulp containing 70% or more solids is treated by upflow percolation with a 5% solution of tributyl phosphate in kerosene at a rate equivalent to a residence time of about one hour to extract the solubilized uranium. The uranium is recovered from the pregnant organic liquid by counter-current washing with water. The organic extractant may be recycled. The uranium is removed from the water solution by treating with ammonia to precipitate ammonium diuranate. The filtrate from the last step may be recycled for the nitrate-conditioning treatment.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Feb 24 00:00:00 EST 1959},
month = {Tue Feb 24 00:00:00 EST 1959}
}