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

Separation and purification of uranium from the alkaline leaching solution obtained from the dissolution of the evaporation pool scrap (C36) of the uranium processing plant using alkaline precipitation

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

R. Yavari 1
R. Davarkhoh 1
Sh. Nezami 2
S.M. Mousavi 3
M. Johari 4
N. Zakariapour 4
T. Yousefi 1

1 Nuclear Fuel Cycle Research School, Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute, AEOI, P.O.Box: 11365-8486, Tehran – Iran

2 Research Institute of Chemical, Oil and Gas Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, P.O.Box: 16846, Tehran - Iran

3 AEOI, P.O.Box: 11365-8486, Tehran - Iran

4 Nuclear Reactor Fuel Company, AEOI, P.O.Box: 81465-1957, Isfahan - Iran

https://doi.org/10.24200/nst.2024.1576
Abstract
In the current research work, the alkaline precipitation method was used for the primary separation and purification of uranium in the solution obtained from the dissolution of the evaporation pool scrap (C36) of the uranium processing plant. In this method, the effect of various parameters such as pH, temperature, stirring speed, aging time, and seeding on the uranium precipitation yielded sodium diuranate. In addition, the amount of impurities such as sodium and fluoride in the precipitate was evaluated. The results show that by raising the pH of the solution to 14, the separation yield increases to 98.1%. Nonetheless, using the seeding method, the pH value is reduced to 12 and the separation efficiency increases to 99 %. Also, the results show that increasing the aging time and stirring speed improves the separation percentage. It decreases the amount of sodium and fluoride impurities in the precipitation. In contrast, reducing the temperature leads to an increase in uranium and impurities separation percentage. In general, by applying the seeding process, pH adjustment up to 12, aging time of 12 hours, temperature of 50°C and stirring speed of 250 rpm, the best conditions for primary uranium separation as sodium diuranate with the minimum amount of major impurities in the precipitation were obtained.

Highlights

  1. Jain R, Peräniemi S, Jordan N, Vogel M, Weiss S, Foerstendorf H, Lakaniemi A.M. Removal and recovery of uranium(VI) by waste digested activated sludge in fed-batch stirred tank reactor. Wat. Res. 2018;142:167.

 

  1. Brugge D, De Lemos J.L, Oldmixon B. Exposure pathways and health effects associated with chemical and radiological toxicity of natural uranium. A review. Rev. Environ. Health. 2005;20:177.

 

  1. IAEA, Various, Treatment of liquid effluent from uranium mines and mills. IAEA62. 2004.

 

  1. WHO, 2012. Uranium in drinking water. background document for development of WHO guidelines for drinking water quality. TECDOC-1419, ISBN 92-2-112304-3.

 

  1. IAEA, 1993. Uranium Extraction Technology, Technical Reports Series. 359 183, ISBN 92-0-631-103593-4.

 

  1. Parvizinejad Z, Maleki Farsani A, Heydari A. Uranium Removal from Liquid Waste using Reductive Precipitation. J. of Nucl Sci. and Tech. 2014(3);68:89-93 [In Persian].

 

  1. Zaheri P, Davarkhah R, Zahakifar F. Extraction of uranium from the sulfuric acid solution using a polymer inclusion membrane containing alamine336. J. of Nucl Sci. and Tech. 2021(4);42:28-36 [In Persian].

 

  1. Sadeghi M.H, Outokesh M, Habibi Zare M. Production of high quality ammonium uranyl carbonate from “uranyl nitrate þ carbonate” precursor solution. Prog. Nucl. Ene. 2020;122:103270.

 

  1. Paik S, Satpati S.K, Gupta S.K, Sahu M.L, Singh D.K. Study on the effects of sonication on reactive precipitation of ammonium uranyl carbonate from pure uranyl nitrate solution. J. Nucl. Mat. 2021;557:153222.

 

  1. Santos E.A, Laderia A.C.Q. Recovery of uranium from mine waste by leaching with carbonate-based reagents. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2011;45:3591.

 

  1. Gupta R, Pandey V.M, Pranesh S.R, Chakravarty A.B. Study of an improved technique for precipitation of uranium from eluted solution. Hydrometallurgy. 2004;71:429.

 

  1. Katz J.J, Rabinowitch E. The Chemistry of Uranium. Part I. (New York. McGraw-Hill Book Co. 1951).

 

  1. Bunji B, Zogovic B, Crnojevic R, Pacovic N, Secerov M. Industrial Application of Catalytic Precipitation of Uranium, Third International Conference on Peaceful Uses of  Atomic  Energy. Geneva. 1958;250-254.

 

  1. Kim K.W, Hyun J.T, Lee K.Y, Lee E.H, Chung D.Y, Moon J.K. Recycling of acidic and alkaline solutions by electrodialysis in a treatment process for uranium oxide waste using a carbonate solution with hydrogen peroxide. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 2012;51:6275.

 

  1. Santos A, Laderia A.C.Q. Recovery of uranium from mine waste by leaching with carbonate-based reagents. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2011;45:3591.

 

  1. Hillebrand W.F, Lundell G.E.F, Bright G.A, Hoffman J.I. In: Applied Inorganic Analysis 2nd Ed. (Wiley, New York. 1953).

 

  1. Kim D, Kim J, Ryu H.D, Lee S.I. Effect of mixing on spontaneous struvite precipitation from semiconductor wastewater. Bioresource Technol. 2009;100:74-78.

 

  1. Nikol'skii B.N, Paramonova V.I, Morachevskaya M.D. Investigation of the interaction of solution of uranium salts with sodium hydroxide. Zh. Neorg. Khim. 1957;5:1194.

 

  1. Skiff K.E, Turner J.P. A Report On Alkaline Carbonate Leaching At Homestake Mining Company. 1981.

 

  1. Woolfrey J.L. Тhe Preparation and Calcination of Ammonium Uranates-А Literature Survey. Australian Atomic Energy Commission Research Establishment Lucas Heights. 1968.

 

  1. Rahaman M.S, Ellis N, Mavinic D.S. Effects of various process parameters on struvite precipitation kinetics and subsequent determination of rate constants. Wat. Sci. Technol. 2008;57:647.

Keywords

Uranium
C36 Scrap
Alkaline precipitation
Fluoride
Sodium
  1. Jain R, Peräniemi S, Jordan N, Vogel M, Weiss S, Foerstendorf H, Lakaniemi A.M. Removal and recovery of uranium(VI) by waste digested activated sludge in fed-batch stirred tank reactor. Wat. Res. 2018;142:167.

 

  1. Brugge D, De Lemos J.L, Oldmixon B. Exposure pathways and health effects associated with chemical and radiological toxicity of natural uranium. A review. Rev. Environ. Health. 2005;20:177.

 

  1. IAEA, Various, Treatment of liquid effluent from uranium mines and mills. IAEA62. 2004.

 

  1. WHO, 2012. Uranium in drinking water. background document for development of WHO guidelines for drinking water quality. TECDOC-1419, ISBN 92-2-112304-3.

 

  1. IAEA, 1993. Uranium Extraction Technology, Technical Reports Series. 359 183, ISBN 92-0-631-103593-4.

 

  1. Parvizinejad Z, Maleki Farsani A, Heydari A. Uranium Removal from Liquid Waste using Reductive Precipitation. J. of Nucl Sci. and Tech. 2014(3);68:89-93 [In Persian].

 

  1. Zaheri P, Davarkhah R, Zahakifar F. Extraction of uranium from the sulfuric acid solution using a polymer inclusion membrane containing alamine336. J. of Nucl Sci. and Tech. 2021(4);42:28-36 [In Persian].

 

  1. Sadeghi M.H, Outokesh M, Habibi Zare M. Production of high quality ammonium uranyl carbonate from “uranyl nitrate þ carbonate” precursor solution. Prog. Nucl. Ene. 2020;122:103270.

 

  1. Paik S, Satpati S.K, Gupta S.K, Sahu M.L, Singh D.K. Study on the effects of sonication on reactive precipitation of ammonium uranyl carbonate from pure uranyl nitrate solution. J. Nucl. Mat. 2021;557:153222.

 

  1. Santos E.A, Laderia A.C.Q. Recovery of uranium from mine waste by leaching with carbonate-based reagents. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2011;45:3591.

 

  1. Gupta R, Pandey V.M, Pranesh S.R, Chakravarty A.B. Study of an improved technique for precipitation of uranium from eluted solution. Hydrometallurgy. 2004;71:429.

 

  1. Katz J.J, Rabinowitch E. The Chemistry of Uranium. Part I. (New York. McGraw-Hill Book Co. 1951).

 

  1. Bunji B, Zogovic B, Crnojevic R, Pacovic N, Secerov M. Industrial Application of Catalytic Precipitation of Uranium, Third International Conference on Peaceful Uses of  Atomic  Energy. Geneva. 1958;250-254.

 

  1. Kim K.W, Hyun J.T, Lee K.Y, Lee E.H, Chung D.Y, Moon J.K. Recycling of acidic and alkaline solutions by electrodialysis in a treatment process for uranium oxide waste using a carbonate solution with hydrogen peroxide. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 2012;51:6275.

 

  1. Santos A, Laderia A.C.Q. Recovery of uranium from mine waste by leaching with carbonate-based reagents. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2011;45:3591.

 

  1. Hillebrand W.F, Lundell G.E.F, Bright G.A, Hoffman J.I. In: Applied Inorganic Analysis 2nd Ed. (Wiley, New York. 1953).

 

  1. Kim D, Kim J, Ryu H.D, Lee S.I. Effect of mixing on spontaneous struvite precipitation from semiconductor wastewater. Bioresource Technol. 2009;100:74-78.

 

  1. Nikol'skii B.N, Paramonova V.I, Morachevskaya M.D. Investigation of the interaction of solution of uranium salts with sodium hydroxide. Zh. Neorg. Khim. 1957;5:1194.

 

  1. Skiff K.E, Turner J.P. A Report On Alkaline Carbonate Leaching At Homestake Mining Company. 1981.

 

  1. Woolfrey J.L. Тhe Preparation and Calcination of Ammonium Uranates-А Literature Survey. Australian Atomic Energy Commission Research Establishment Lucas Heights. 1968.

 

  1. Rahaman M.S, Ellis N, Mavinic D.S. Effects of various process parameters on struvite precipitation kinetics and subsequent determination of rate constants. Wat. Sci. Technol. 2008;57:647.

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