Uranium recovery from phosphate fertilizer in the form of a high purity compound

Uranium recovery from phosphate fertilizer industry is based on a one cycle extraction-stripping process. The process was experimented on both sulfuric and nitric acid attack of phosphate rock when uranium is dissolved in phosphoric acid (WPA) or phosphonitric (PN) solution respectively. The WPA and PN solution must be clarified. In the first alternative by ageing and settling and in the second by settling in the presence of flocculant. The organic components must be removed on active carbon for WPA only since in the case of nitric attack calcined phosphates are used. In both alternatives uranium is extracted from aqueous acidic solutions in the same time with the rare earths (REE), by di(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (DEPA) as basic extractants, eventually in the presence of octylphosphine oxide (TOPO) as synergic agent. The stripping process is carried out in two stages: in the first stage REE are stripped and precipitated by HF or NH4F + H2S04 and in the second stage uranium as U(VI) is stripped by the same reagents but in the presence of Fe(II) as reductant for U(VI) to U(IV) inextractible species. Tetravalent uranium is also precipitated as green cake either UF4xH20 or (NH4)7U6F31 as dependent on reagents HF or NH4F + H2S04. Uranium stripping is possible for PN solution only if HNO3 partially extracted is previously washed out by a urea solution. The green cake washed and filtered is dissolved in nitric acid in presence of Al(OH)3 as complexant for F. The filtered nitric solution is adjusted to 3-5 mol/L HNO3 and extracted by 20% TBP when uranium is transferred to the organic phase which after scrubbing is stripped in the classic way with acidulated (HN03) demineralized water. Uranium is precipitated as diuranate of high purity. Rare earths left in the aqueous raffinate are extracted by pure TBP from 8-10 mol/L HNO3 medium. The stripping process takes place with acidulated water. Rare earths are precipitated as hydroxides. (author)