Extraction of uranium from phosphoric acid using supported extractants
AssigneeAllied Chemical Corporation
InventorsTheodore Largman, Stylianos Sifniades
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Abstract
Uranium is extracted from phosphoric acid with organophosphorus extractants supported or impregnated on polymeric resins, and especially macroreticular resins. Suitable extractants include mono and dialkylphenyl esters of phosphoric acid. Uranium may be stripped from the supported or impregnated resins with hotter or more concentrated phosphoric acid, optionally with oxidation to hexavalent form, or with aqueous fluoride solutions.
Claims5
A process which comprises contacting aqueous phosphoric acid of between about 5 and about 8 molar concentration and containing 1 to 500 mg/L uranium with a polyacrylate macroreticular resin resistant to phosphoric acid and of high surface area on which is supported an organophosphorus extractant selected from the group consisting of mono and dialkylphenyl esters of phosphoric acid;
- uranium in the aqueous phosphoric acid being predominantly in tetravalent form and any iron in the aqueous phosphoric acid being substantially all in the divalent form.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.