Selective separation of zirconium from uranium in carbonate solutions by ion flotation
Creators
- 1. Centre de Recherche sur La Valorisation des Minerais, Vandoeuvre (France)
- 2. Somair B.P., Artlit (Niger)
- 3. Uranium Pechiney Direction Recherche and Development, Paris (France)
Description
Separation of zirconium from uranium in carbonate media was undertaken by ion flotation. The collector chosen was octylhydroxamic acid (HOHX). It gave a well-flocculated precipitate with zirconium which floated in less than 5 min. The stoichiometry of the reaction is HOHX/Zr = 3.9/1, and the selectivity in the presence of uranium is very high. In fact, for a ratio Φ = [HOHX],M/[Zr],M, which is just stoichiometric and is close to 4, the zirconium removal rate reaches 99%, even in industrial media. The loss of uranium is only 0.5% although its concentration is 37.4 g/L. Mechanisms of separation are not affected by a variation of pH between 6.7 and 9.8, of temperature up to 60 degree C, and of carbonate concentration within the 15 to 60 g/L Na2CO3 range
Additional details
Publishing Information
- Journal Title
- Separation Science and Technology
- Journal Volume
- 25
- Journal Issue
- 6
- Series
- Sep. Sci. Technol.
- Journal Page Range
- 701-710
- ISSN
- 0149-6395
- CODEN
- SSTED
INIS
- Country of Publication
- United States
- Country of Input or Organization
- United States
- INIS RN
- 22028031
- Subject category
- S11: NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; S37: INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY;
- Resource subtype / Literary indicator
- Numerical Data
- Descriptors DEI
- CARBONATES; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; FLOTATION; PH VALUE; SEPARATION PROCESSES; URANIUM ORES; ZIRCONIUM
- Descriptors DEC
- CARBON COMPOUNDS; DATA; ELEMENTS; INFORMATION; METALS; NUMERICAL DATA; ORES; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; TRANSITION ELEMENTS