PROCESS FOR RECYCLING URANIUM FROM URANYL PHOSPHATE AND FROM OTHER IMPURE URANIUM-BASED MATERIALS

摘要

The invention relates to a process for recycling uranium from uranyl phosphate and from other impure uranium-containing materials and to an installation for carrying out the process. According to the invention, the process consists in solubilizing impure uranium-containing materials in HNO, at 80...85°C, under the negative pressure produced by air ejectors, resulting in a solution of impure uranyl nitrate from which, by purification with organic solvents, such as a 30% TBP solution in kerosene, there is obtained a pure uranyl nitrate solution suitable for preparing sinterable UOpowder and nuclear fuel. The installation, as claimed by the invention, comprises a reactor for dissolving the impure uranium-containing materials which operates discontinuously, under negative pressure; means for running-over, filtering, homogenizing, storing and conditioning the solution of impure uranyl nitrate, means for treating and recovering the nitrogen oxides as HNOand for neutralizing the resulting noxious gases, as well as means for uranium recovery from the cakes resulting from the filtration of the so obtained uranyl nitrate solution and for recycling the same.