Uranium recovery from pre-treated phosphoric acid
AssigneeOccidental Petroleum Corporation
InventorsJames L. Bradford, Fernando Ore
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Impure phosphoric acid containing uranium values is pretreated with a water immiscible organic sulfonic acid, preferably in conjunction with a water immiscible organic acid phosphate compound, for extraction of ionic metallic impurities and organic impurities to produce pretreated phosphoric acid containing uranium values. Pretreated phosphoric acid is contacted with a water immiscible extractant comprising an organic uranium-extracting agent, preferably an organophosphorus compound, dissolved in a water immiscible organic diluent to produce uranium-depleted phosphoric acid and uranium-enriched extractant. Uranium is recovered from the uranium-enriched extractant.
Claims16
A process for recovering uranium values from phosphoric acid which comprises:
- (a) contacting an aqueous phosphoric acid phase containing uranium values, from 1% to about 55% P.sub.2 O.sub.5 values by weight and impurities with a first water immiscible organic extractant phase comprising a water immiscible organic solvent containing at least one water immiscible organic sulfonic acid dissolved therein to form:
- (i) a pretreated phosphoric acid phase containing uranium values;
- and
- (ii) a loaded organic extractant phase containing impurities;
- (b) separating the pretreated aqueous phosphoric acid phase from the loaded organic extractant phase;
- (c) contacting pretreated aqueous phosphoric acid phase with a second water immiscible organic extractant phase comprising a water immiscible organic solvent containing at least one water immiscible organophosphorus uranium-extracting agent dissolved therein to form:
- (i) a uranium-depleted phosphoric acid phase;
- and
- (ii) an organic extractant phase containing uranium values;
- (d) separating the uranium-containing organic extractant phase from the uranium-depleted phosphoric acid phase;
- and
- (e) recovering uranium values from the uranium-containing second organic extractant phase.
A process for recovering uranium values from phosphoric acid which comprises:
- (a) contacting an aqueous phosphoric acid phase containing uranium values, from 1% to about 55% P.sub.2 O.sub.5 values by weight, and impurities with a first water immiscible organic extractant phase comprising a water immiscible organic solvent containing at least one water immiscible organic sulfonic acid and at least one water immiscible organic acid phosphate, phosphonate, or half ester thereof dissolved therein to form:
- (i) a pretreated phosphoric acid phase containing uranium values;
- and
- (ii) a loaded organic extractant phase containing impurities;
- (b) separating the pretreated aqueous phosphoric acid phase from the loaded organic extractant phase;
- (c) contacting pretreated aqueous phosphoric acid phase with a second water immiscible organic extractant phase comprising a water immiscible organic solvent containing at least one water immiscible organophosphorus uranium-extracting agent dissolved therein to form:
- (i) a uranium-depleted phosphoric acid phase;
- and
- (ii) an organic extractant phase containing uranium values;
- (d) separating uranium-containing organic extractant phase from uranium-depleted phosphoric acid phase;
- and
- (e) recovering uranium values from uranium-containing organic extractant phase.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.