Separation of uranium and molybdenum using a solvent
AssigneeUranium Pechiney Ugine Kuhlmann
InventorsAntoine Floreancig, Jean-Pierre Cuer
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Abstract
A process for separating by means of an organic agent the uranium and the molybdenum contained in an aqueous liquor originating from a sulphuric attack of an urano-molybdeniferous ore which involves placing the said attacking liquor in contact with an organic extraction solution containing at least one tertiary or secondary amine in an (amine)/(Mo) molar ratio of up to 0.8, separating the molybdenum-charged organic phase from the uranium-rich aqueous phase, treating the organic phase with an aqueous liquor containing at least one mineral agent in the form of alkaline and ammonium hydroxide and/or carbonates to form an aqueous solution which is concentrated in molybdate.
Claims17
A process for separating uranium and molybdenum contained in an aqueous liquor originating from the sulphuric acid treatment of uranomolybdeniferous ore characterizing contacting said aqueous liquor with at least one amine which is insoluble in an aqueous medium, selected from the group consisting of the tertiary and secondary amines dissolved in an aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon or a chlorinated hydrocarbon diluent, to obtain an organic phase and a aqueous phase separating the molybdenum-charged organic phase from the aqueous phase which is improverished in molybdenum and rich in uranium, contacting the molybdenum-charged organic phase with an aqueous solution containing at least one mineral agent selected from the group consisting of alkaline and ammonium hydroxides, carbonates and mixtures thereof to form an aqueous solution which is rich in molybdate from the regenerated organic amino solution wherein the amine/Mo molar ratio is in the range from about 0.1 to about 0.8.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.