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Title: SYNERGISTIC URANIUM EXTRACTANTS: COMBINATION OF NEUTRAL ORGANOPHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS WITH DIALKYLPHOSPHORIC ACIDS

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4273979· OSTI ID:4273979

Dialkylphosphoric acids in combination with trialkylphosphates, dialkyl alkylphosphonates, trialkylphosphine oxides, and other neutral organophosphorus compounds have uranium extraction abilities as much as two orders of magnitude stronger than the cumulative abilities of the individual reagents. With the possible exception of plutonium, other metals tested, e.g., iron, aluminum, vanadium, molybdenum, titanium, show no synergistic enhancement of extraction coefficient. Of the acids tested, only dialkylphosphoric acids showed a synergistic enhancement. Extractions can be achieved from sulfate and phosphate solutions in addition to nitrate solutions. Effects of anion concentration, pH and dialkylphosphoric acid concentration are parallel with and without the neutral additive. High neutral additive concentrations decrease uranium extraction. The reagents allow high uranium concentration from very lowgrade liquors and are usable wlth liquors usually difficult to extract. Several useful reagent combinations can be prepared from commercial reagents. (auth)

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-26
NSA Number:
NSA-13-008345
OSTI ID:
4273979
Report Number(s):
ORNL-2259
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-59
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English