URANIUM PRECIPITATION PROCESS
Abstract
A method for the recovery of uranium from sulfuric acid solutions is described. In the present process, sulfuric acid is added to the uranium bearing solution to bring the pH to between 1 and 1.8, preferably to about 1.4, and aluminum metal is then used as a reducing agent to convert hexavalent uranium to the tetravalent state. As the reaction proceeds, the pH rises amd a selective precipitation of uranium occurs resulting in a high grade precipitate. This process is an improvement over the process using metallic iron, in that metallic aluminum reacts less readily than metallic iron with sulfuric acid, thus avoiding consumption of the reducing agent and a raising of the pH without accomplishing the desired reduction of the hexavalent uranium in the solution. Another disadvantage to the use of iron is that positive ferric ions will precipitate with negative phosphate and arsenate ions at the pH range employed.
- Inventors:
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Originating Research Org. not identified
- OSTI Identifier:
- 4307735
- Patent Number(s):
- 2815261
- Assignee:
- U.S. Atomic Energy Commission DTIE; NSA-12-006988
- NSA Number:
- NSA-12-006988
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-58
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- PATENTS; ALUMINUM; ARSENIC COMPOUNDS; ENRICHMENT; IRON; PATENT; PHOSPHATES; PRECIPITATION; RECOVERY; REDUCTION; SOLUTIONS; SULFURIC ACID; URANIUM
Citation Formats
Thunaes, A., Brown, E.A., Smith, H.W., and Simard, R. URANIUM PRECIPITATION PROCESS. United States: N. p., 1957.
Web.
Thunaes, A., Brown, E.A., Smith, H.W., & Simard, R. URANIUM PRECIPITATION PROCESS. United States.
Thunaes, A., Brown, E.A., Smith, H.W., and Simard, R. Sun .
"URANIUM PRECIPITATION PROCESS". United States.
@article{osti_4307735,
title = {URANIUM PRECIPITATION PROCESS},
author = {Thunaes, A. and Brown, E.A. and Smith, H.W. and Simard, R.},
abstractNote = {A method for the recovery of uranium from sulfuric acid solutions is described. In the present process, sulfuric acid is added to the uranium bearing solution to bring the pH to between 1 and 1.8, preferably to about 1.4, and aluminum metal is then used as a reducing agent to convert hexavalent uranium to the tetravalent state. As the reaction proceeds, the pH rises amd a selective precipitation of uranium occurs resulting in a high grade precipitate. This process is an improvement over the process using metallic iron, in that metallic aluminum reacts less readily than metallic iron with sulfuric acid, thus avoiding consumption of the reducing agent and a raising of the pH without accomplishing the desired reduction of the hexavalent uranium in the solution. Another disadvantage to the use of iron is that positive ferric ions will precipitate with negative phosphate and arsenate ions at the pH range employed.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1957},
month = {12}
}