Uranium oxide prodn. by thermal decomposition of uranyl nitrate - with catalytic reduction of the nitrogen oxide(s) produced to provide heat for the process

摘要

In the termal decomposition of uranyl nitrate into uranium oxide and oxides of nitrogen, the oxides of nitrogen produced are catalytically reduced to N2 and the resulting heat is utilised for the thermal decomposition of further uranyl nitrate. The process is autothermic and gives UO3 with sufficiently high reactivity for subsequent processing into UF6 in known manner. The process proceeds without the prodn. of contaminated effluents or of nitric acid which cannot be used in the process.