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Title: PROGRESS REPORT ON RAW MATERIALS FOR OCTOBER 1957. Chemical Technology Div.

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4345238· OSTI ID:4345238

Systematic Studies. A series of experimental dilaurylpolypropoxy amines showed only fair uranium extraction power from dilute sulfate solution. There was little change in behavior with change in propoxy chain length from 1 to 40 units, except that only with the longest-chain sample were phase separations good. Loss of di(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (D2EHPA) from 0.1 M solution in kerosene to dilute acidic sulfate solutions, measured by dlstribution of P-32labeled reagent, was < 1 mg/liter of aqueous solution at 25 deg C and <5 mg/liter at 50 deg C. The corresponding losses to 10 M HCl solution were 1.5 and 5 mg/liter. On prolonged contact (100 hr) a small but measurably higher concentration of P-32 was found in the aqueous phase, which is attributed to slight (~ 0.01%) hydrolysis of the D2EHPA. in preliminary tests of cation exchange between sodium di(2-ethylhexyl)phosphate solutions in modified Amsco 123-15 and aqueous neutral- to-basic nitrate solutions, strontium was preferentially distributed to the organic phase, with Sr/Na separation factors of about 30. Cesium was extracted less than sodium. Process Development Studies. The inorganic phosphate content of a Dapex process vanadium(IV) strip solution was decreased sufficiently by passage through a zirconium oxide column to permit direct ammonia precipitation of a vanadium product meeting phosphorus specifications. Losses of zirconium to the strip solution were low. The phosphate was partially eluted from the column with dilute sodium hydroxide. Stripping rates of vanadium and contaminants from 0.25 M D2EHPA/kerosene with 1 M H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/ were compared at 25 and 50 deg C, in a study of the possibility of avoiding contaminant buildup by acid stripping alone. The stripping rates of vanadium(IV), aluminum, and especially iron(III) were markedly increased at the higher temperatare. The rates were essentially the same with or without TBP (0.2 M) in the organic phase. Engineering Studies. Comparison of the rate of uranium extraction by Dapex solvent at aqueous to solvent ratios of 4/1 and 1/1 shows that the rate constants agree when adjusted for the fraction of aqueous phase present in the mixer. The stage efficiency of the mixer with continuous flow remained virtually unchanged when the aqueous flow rate was constant and the aqueous to solvent ratio in the mixer was changed from 4/1 to 1/1. Fundamental Studies. In continued stady by infrared spectrophetometry of the molecular association *****please delete all the above abstract****************

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-26
NSA Number:
NSA-12-007760
OSTI ID:
4345238
Report Number(s):
ORNL-2451
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-58
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English