Patent · US Expired

Process for the selective separation of uranium, zirconium and/or hafnium and/or molybdenum from a carbonated aqueous solution containing same

US4675166A · kind A · utility

3Cited by
10References
9Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateOct 15, 1984
Grant dateJun 23, 1987
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 15, 2004

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
  • CPC primaryC22B60/0278
  • WIPO fieldMaterials, metallurgy
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

Process for the selective separation of uranium in carbonated aqueous solution from soluble impurities including in particular at least one of the elements zirconium and/or hafnium and/or molybdenum, thereby making it possible to produce a uraniferous liquor in a greatly improved state of purity, comprising precipitation of the zirconium and/or hafnium by introducing an alkali metal hydroxide, then separation of the zirconiferous precipitate which possibly contains hafnium and/or molybdenum from the resulting uraniferous solution with its reduced impurities content, which still possibly contains molybdenum, which is characterized in that in order to increase the removal of zirconium and/or hafnium and/or molybdenum, the uraniferous carbonated aqueous solution is treated by means of a dilute alkaline aqueous solution containing at most 17 g/l of at least one alkali metal hydroxide expressed in respect of OH.sup.-, in an amount such that the resulting pH-value is imperatively higher than 11 but is generally between 11.8 and 12.5.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.