Uranyl nitrate pouring solution for producing nuclear fuel particles and a method for its preparation

Patent · Tue May 24 00:00:00 EDT 1983

OSTI ID:5876602

Hein, K

Sorbitol, or another polyalcohol such as erythritol, dulcitol or xylitol, is added to a solution containing uranyl nitrate which may also contain another heavy metal, such as thorium or plutonium, prior to preneutralization with ammonia in order to provide a highly viscous solution that can be preneutralized to a great extent without premature precipitation of uranium. The high viscosity makes possible the formation of favorably large drops when the solution is dripped into an ammonia containing bath for external gelification of the drops. According to the pouring apparatus used, the particles after washing, drying and sintering have a diameter between 0.6 and 1.5 mm. The polyalcohol is added to a hydrosol containing from 1.5 to 2 moles per liter of heavy metal, the polyalcohol being added until concentration of onethird mole of polyalcohol per mole of heavy metal is reached. In certain cases up to four moles of ammonium nitrate per liter are added. The solution so produced can be preneutralized with up to 90% of the amount of ammonia stoichiometrically necessary for T separation of uranium without the formation of any precipitate, preferably by first adding ammonia gas under strong stirring and then adding ammonium bicarbonate in excess, which decomposes to liberate ammonia to an extent determined by the temperature, which is to be precisely controlled. It is possible to obtain this way a solution of predetermined viscosity from which the excess ammonium bicarbonate can readily be separated.

• Assignee: Kernforschungsanlage Julich Gmbh (Germany, Federal Republic Of)
• Patent Number(s): US 4384990
• OSTI ID: 5876602
• Resource Relation: Patent Priority Date: Priority date 2 Jun 1980, Germany, Federal Republic of (F.R. Germany); Other Information: PAT-APPL-154449
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
FUEL PARTICLES
PRODUCTION
URANYL NITRATES
CHEMICAL PREPARATION
AMMONIA
PH VALUE
SOLUTIONS
SORBITOL
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
CARBOHYDRATES
DISPERSIONS
DIURETICS
DRUGS
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MIXTURES
MONOSACCHARIDES
NITRATES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN HYDRIDES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SACCHARIDES
SYNTHESIS
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANYL COMPOUNDS
050400* - Nuclear Fuels- Feed Processing
050700 - Nuclear Fuels- Fuels Production & Properties