Recovery and Purification of Uranium from Rejected-Prototype Fuel Plates with Use Innovative Method

In nuclear research reactor fuel producing factories, in order to recover uranium from aluminum plate scraps of oxide fuel, the dissolving process in the caustic soda and nitric acid and, ultimately, the solvent extraction process for the purification of uranium from the UNH are used. In this resear...

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Main Authors: K Fatemi, M Taghinejad kord, M H. zare, A. H fARHADI
Format: Article
Language:fas
Published: Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute 2019-02-01
Series:مجله علوم و فنون هسته‌ای
Subjects:
Online Access:https://jonsat.nstri.ir/article_239_49ede2caefed079438adb359dbe9a47c.pdf
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author K Fatemi
M Taghinejad kord
M H. zare
A. H fARHADI
author_facet K Fatemi
M Taghinejad kord
M H. zare
A. H fARHADI
author_sort K Fatemi
collection DOAJ
description In nuclear research reactor fuel producing factories, in order to recover uranium from aluminum plate scraps of oxide fuel, the dissolving process in the caustic soda and nitric acid and, ultimately, the solvent extraction process for the purification of uranium from the UNH are used. In this research, the results of separation and purification of uranium from scraps of aluminum oxide fuel plates are reported in a new and different method and without the solvent extraction process. In this method, the virtual plate fuel fragments containing U3O8 were dissolved in caustic soda solution. Then, the suspension obtained from dissolution of the aluminum sheath, together with particles of U3O8 was reacted with 40% HF solution. The product obtained was subjected to heat treatment to oxidize its U+4 by air oxygen. Next, the uranium in the product oxidized by the leaching process was leached and separated from the impurities and was precipitated in the form of the very pure compounds of AUC and ADU. These intermediaries were converted into pure U3O8 by calcination. The results of the analyzes show that U3O8 produced in this way have higher purity compared to U3O8 produced from pure UF6  as well as from U3O8 from defective actual oxide fuel plates which in scientific sources have been purified by the solvent extraction process from the UNH. At the same time, in this method two samples of pure U3O8 powder with grain size of 86% and 94% (above 45 microns) are also produced directly from ammonium bicarbonate leached solutions through formation of AUC sedimentation, the characteristics of which recommend the applicability of this method in terms of chemical purity and grain size of U3O8 produced for enriched uranium in a fuel plate manufacturing line.
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spelling doaj.art-c0de9ed9084e413b970b776a503930942023-05-02T10:17:22ZfasNuclear Science and Technology Research Instituteمجله علوم و فنون هسته‌ای1735-18712676-58612019-02-01394859210.24200/nst.2019.239239Recovery and Purification of Uranium from Rejected-Prototype Fuel Plates with Use Innovative MethodK Fatemi0M Taghinejad kord1M H. zare2A. H fARHADI3شرکت سوره، سازمان انرژی اتمی ایران، صندوق پستی: 1957-81465، اصفهان ـ ایرانشرکت سوره، سازمان انرژی اتمی ایران، صندوق پستی: 1957-81465، اصفهان ـ ایرانشرکت سوره، سازمان انرژی اتمی ایران، صندوق پستی: 1957-81465، اصفهان ـ ایرانشرکت سوره، سازمان انرژی اتمی ایران، صندوق پستی: 1957-81465، اصفهان ـ ایرانIn nuclear research reactor fuel producing factories, in order to recover uranium from aluminum plate scraps of oxide fuel, the dissolving process in the caustic soda and nitric acid and, ultimately, the solvent extraction process for the purification of uranium from the UNH are used. In this research, the results of separation and purification of uranium from scraps of aluminum oxide fuel plates are reported in a new and different method and without the solvent extraction process. In this method, the virtual plate fuel fragments containing U3O8 were dissolved in caustic soda solution. Then, the suspension obtained from dissolution of the aluminum sheath, together with particles of U3O8 was reacted with 40% HF solution. The product obtained was subjected to heat treatment to oxidize its U+4 by air oxygen. Next, the uranium in the product oxidized by the leaching process was leached and separated from the impurities and was precipitated in the form of the very pure compounds of AUC and ADU. These intermediaries were converted into pure U3O8 by calcination. The results of the analyzes show that U3O8 produced in this way have higher purity compared to U3O8 produced from pure UF6  as well as from U3O8 from defective actual oxide fuel plates which in scientific sources have been purified by the solvent extraction process from the UNH. At the same time, in this method two samples of pure U3O8 powder with grain size of 86% and 94% (above 45 microns) are also produced directly from ammonium bicarbonate leached solutions through formation of AUC sedimentation, the characteristics of which recommend the applicability of this method in terms of chemical purity and grain size of U3O8 produced for enriched uranium in a fuel plate manufacturing line.https://jonsat.nstri.ir/article_239_49ede2caefed079438adb359dbe9a47c.pdfaluminum plate scrapfuel platethermal treatmentleachingprecipitationuranium
spellingShingle K Fatemi
M Taghinejad kord
M H. zare
A. H fARHADI
Recovery and Purification of Uranium from Rejected-Prototype Fuel Plates with Use Innovative Method
مجله علوم و فنون هسته‌ای
aluminum plate scrap
fuel plate
thermal treatment
leaching
precipitation
uranium
title Recovery and Purification of Uranium from Rejected-Prototype Fuel Plates with Use Innovative Method
title_full Recovery and Purification of Uranium from Rejected-Prototype Fuel Plates with Use Innovative Method
title_fullStr Recovery and Purification of Uranium from Rejected-Prototype Fuel Plates with Use Innovative Method
title_full_unstemmed Recovery and Purification of Uranium from Rejected-Prototype Fuel Plates with Use Innovative Method
title_short Recovery and Purification of Uranium from Rejected-Prototype Fuel Plates with Use Innovative Method
title_sort recovery and purification of uranium from rejected prototype fuel plates with use innovative method
topic aluminum plate scrap
fuel plate
thermal treatment
leaching
precipitation
uranium
url https://jonsat.nstri.ir/article_239_49ede2caefed079438adb359dbe9a47c.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT kfatemi recoveryandpurificationofuraniumfromrejectedprototypefuelplateswithuseinnovativemethod
AT mtaghinejadkord recoveryandpurificationofuraniumfromrejectedprototypefuelplateswithuseinnovativemethod
AT mhzare recoveryandpurificationofuraniumfromrejectedprototypefuelplateswithuseinnovativemethod
AT ahfarhadi recoveryandpurificationofuraniumfromrejectedprototypefuelplateswithuseinnovativemethod