Carbonate Treatment of U3O8 Precipitates.

摘要

This is a report on preliminary attempts to refine a low-grade precipitate of 803 by treatment with carbonate solutions. Extraction of 803 from 396 ores may be accomplished by leaching with cold, dilute, ferric sulfate and sulfuric acid. The 803 in the resulting leach solution can then be precipitated with any one of several alkalies such as sodium hydroxide, ammonia, calcium oxide, or magnesium oxide. A precipitate of most desirable characteristics is obtained by using magnesia as the precipitant, but this precipitate will settle to only 10 per cent solids, filter to 25 per cent solids, and, when oven-dried, still contains 25 to 35 per cent water of hydration. The oven-dried product usually contains from 2 to 3 per cent 803, and greater percentages of iron, aluminum silicon and magnesium. This cake contains about 150 pounds of water per pound of 803. If dried it would contain 30 pounds of other oxides per pound of 803. This latter product contains precipitated iron, some of which may be needed in the leaching process. If sodium hydroxide or ammonia is used as a precipitant, the precipitate settles to 1 per cent solids, or less, and if lime is used, the precipitate will be almost half gypsum. jg p.6.