Recovery of uranium and thorium from zirconium oxychloride by solvent extraction

• Published in: Journal of radioanalytical and nuclear chemistry Vol. 292; no. 1; pp. 355 - 360
• Main Authors: Zhong, Xueming, Wu, Yuehui
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.04.2012; Springer
• Subjects: Chemical tests and reagents; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Diagnostic Radiology; Hadrons; Heavy Ions; Hydrochloric acid; Inorganic Chemistry; Nuclear Chemistry; Nuclear Physics; Physical Chemistry; Uranium; Zirconium; Tertiary amine N235; Uranium; Zirconium oxychloride; Solvent extraction; Recovery; Organophosphorus ester P350; Thorium
• ISSN: 0236-5731; 1588-2780
• DOI: 10.1007/s10967-011-1409-z

A solvent extraction process is proposed to recover uranium and thorium from the crystal waste solutions of zirconium oxychloride. The extraction of iron from hydrochloride medium with P350, the extraction of uranium from hydrochloride with N235, and the extraction of thorium from the mixture solutions of nitric acid and the hydrochloric acid with P350 was investigated. The optimum extraction conditions were evaluated with synthetic solutions by studying the parameters of extractant concentration and acidity. The optimum separation conditions for Fe (III) are recognized as 30% P350 and 4.5 to 6.0 M HCl. The optimum extraction conditions for U (VI) are recognized as 25% N235 and 4.5 to 6.0 M HCl. And the optimum extraction conditions for Th (VI) are recognized as 30% P350 and 2.5 to 3.5 M HNO 3 in the mixture solutions. The recovery of uranium and thorium from the crystal waste solutions of zirconium oxychloride was investigated also. The results indicate that the recoveries of uranium and thorium are 92 and 86%, respectively.