Uranium recovery from iron-contg. phosphate - using conc. di:alkyl:pyrophosphoric acid extractant phase contg. heavy alcohol solubiliser (J5 2.9.80)

摘要

The parent patent describes a method of recovering uranium from phospahte cpds. by solvent extn. with an organic phase contg. a dialkyl pyrophosphoric acid (I) and =1 mole (per mole of (I)) of a solubilising agent for the double uranium ammonium dialkylpyrophosphate. The process includes the steps of passing excess anhydrous ammonia into uranium-contg. organic past to ppte. the ammonium salt of (I) and separating the pptd. salt from the organic phase. In the present invention, the improvement is that the concn. of (I) in the organic phase if 0.1-0.4 (pref. 0.15-0.25) M and the solubilising agent is a heavy alcohol. Use of the a high concn. of (I) in the organic phase favours extn. of uranium rather than iron from phospahte solns., even when a heavy alcohol is used as solubilising agent. Complete extn. of uranium from 30% phosphoric acid solns. can be achieved using fewer extn. stages.