Journal of Nuclear Science, Engineering and Technology (JONSAT)
In cooperation with the Iranian Nuclear Society

Recovery and purification of uranium from slags produced in UF6 production reactor

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

K Fatemi
M.T Nejhadkord
M Habibi Zare
https://doi.org/10.24200/nst.2020.1065
Abstract
In this paper, for recovery and purification of uranium from the slag, three simple operations, including heat treatment at low temperature, leaching operations at the ambient temperature, and uranium sedimentation in conventional methods, as well as the combined sedimentation method at the ambient temperature were proposed. The overall role for each of these operations has been studied on the purity of the manufactured products. During the heat treatment, the combination of the insoluble U4+ in the slag structure was oxidized to soluble uranium compounds. Then, with the leaching process and using a dilute nitric acid solution, ammonium bicarbonate solution and methanol, the separation of uranium from the saturated solid phase was performed. The leached uranium in the presence of the fluorine ions in the form of AUC(ammonium uranyl carbonate), ADU(ammonium diuranate) was precipitated with high purity and high efficiency, and a very pure U3O8 containing fluorine concentrations of less than the permitted limit in the nuclear fuel pellet was used. The results of the analysis of the U3O8 shows that the elements that affect the uranium enrichment process and the fuel performance is decreased under the permitted limit.

Highlights

  1. V.L. Buschbeck, K.Ch. Ehrfeld, Wolfgang und Ursula u.a., Gmelin Handbook of Inorganic Chemistry, Uranium Supplement, 12-123 (Springer, Berlin, 1981) Volume A3, (In Germany).
  2. A. Floreancig, U.S. Patent No. US4576802A (Mar. 18. 1986).
  3. C.K. Gupta, H. Singh, Uranium Resource Processing Secondary Resource, 262-432 (Springer, Berlin, 2003).
  4. S.H. Smiley, D.C. Brater, International Atomic Energies Agency the Development of a High Capacity, Continuous Process for the Preparation of Uranium Hexafluoride from Uranium Oxide and Ore Concentrate (U.S. Government Printing Office, 1958) 123-160 (1958).
  5. Nachtrab, et al., U. S. Patent No. US5901338 (May, 4, 1999).
  6. Smyser, et al., U. S. Patent No. US6086836 (Jul. 11, 2000).
  7. Bulko, et al., U. S. Patent No. US6096281 (Aug. 1, 2000).
  8. Nachtrab, et al., U. S. Patent No. US5888468 (Mar. 30, 1999).
  9. L. Gmelin, Gmelin Handbook of Inorganic Chemistry Uranium Dioxide UO2, Preparation and Crystallography Properties, (Springer, Berlin, 1984) 55 suppl, 21-24 (1984) (In Germany).

10. K. Fatemi, et al., AUC Preparation from ADU Precipitated from Uranyl Fluoride Solution, Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 66, 64-76 (2014) (In Persian).

11. International atomic energy agency, Production of Yellow Cake and Uranium Fluoride, (IAEA, Austria, 1980).

12. CHOU and Ding. Yilin, Precipitation Studies of Amonium Uranyl Carbonate from UO2F2 Solutions, Journal of Nuclear Materials, 165 (1989), doi:10.1016/0022-3115(89)90246-8.

 

Keywords

Recovery
Purification
Uranium
UF6 production reactor
  1. V.L. Buschbeck, K.Ch. Ehrfeld, Wolfgang und Ursula u.a., Gmelin Handbook of Inorganic Chemistry, Uranium Supplement, 12-123 (Springer, Berlin, 1981) Volume A3, (In Germany).
  2. A. Floreancig, U.S. Patent No. US4576802A (Mar. 18. 1986).
  3. C.K. Gupta, H. Singh, Uranium Resource Processing Secondary Resource, 262-432 (Springer, Berlin, 2003).
  4. S.H. Smiley, D.C. Brater, International Atomic Energies Agency the Development of a High Capacity, Continuous Process for the Preparation of Uranium Hexafluoride from Uranium Oxide and Ore Concentrate (U.S. Government Printing Office, 1958) 123-160 (1958).
  5. Nachtrab, et al., U. S. Patent No. US5901338 (May, 4, 1999).
  6. Smyser, et al., U. S. Patent No. US6086836 (Jul. 11, 2000).
  7. Bulko, et al., U. S. Patent No. US6096281 (Aug. 1, 2000).
  8. Nachtrab, et al., U. S. Patent No. US5888468 (Mar. 30, 1999).
  9. L. Gmelin, Gmelin Handbook of Inorganic Chemistry Uranium Dioxide UO2, Preparation and Crystallography Properties, (Springer, Berlin, 1984) 55 suppl, 21-24 (1984) (In Germany).

10. K. Fatemi, et al., AUC Preparation from ADU Precipitated from Uranyl Fluoride Solution, Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 66, 64-76 (2014) (In Persian).

11. International atomic energy agency, Production of Yellow Cake and Uranium Fluoride, (IAEA, Austria, 1980).

12. CHOU and Ding. Yilin, Precipitation Studies of Amonium Uranyl Carbonate from UO2F2 Solutions, Journal of Nuclear Materials, 165 (1989), doi:10.1016/0022-3115(89)90246-8.

 

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