Precipitation studies of ammonium uranyl carbonate from UO 2F 2 solutions
Abstract
The precipitation of ammonium uranyl carbonate (AUC) from UO 2F 2 solutions is investigated in this report. An intermediate product, identified as (NH 4) 3UO 2F 5 (AUF), was found preceding the formation of normal AUC precipitates. It dissolves only slowly in the ammonia carbonate solution. Methods of experimental design were adopted here to decide the relative importance of several parameters with respect to either uranium recovery or fluorine content. Our results suggest that the aging temperature is the most important parameter within the ranges of studies affecting the recovery of uranium in this precipitation process. While, on the other hand, the titration rate of (NH 4) 2CO 3 is the only parameter that affects the fluorine content independently. The inclusion of additional NH 4OH in the precipitant can improve the recovery of uranium but unfortunately it increases the fluorine contents as well. Other changes in the characteristics of the precipitate occur undoubtedly.
- Publication:
-
Journal of Nuclear Materials
- Pub Date:
- May 1989
- DOI:
- 10.1016/0022-3115(89)90246-8
- Bibcode:
- 1989JNuM..165..171K