An Upgrading Procedure for the Uranium Concentrate Product of Gattar Pilot Plant Via Ammonium Carbonate
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Load more
Recommended publications
-
In Situ Leach (ISL) Mining of Uranium
In Situ Leach (ISL) Mining of Uranium (June 2009) l Most uranium mining in the USA and Kazakhstan is now by in situ leach methods, also known as in situ recovery (ISR). l In USA ISL is seen as the most cost effective and environmentally acceptable method of mining, and Australian experience supports this. l Australia's first ISL uranium mine is Beverley, which started operation late in 2000. The proposal for Honeymoon has government approval and it is expected to be operating in 2008. Conventional mining involves removing mineralised rock (ore) from the ground, breaking it up and treating it to remove the minerals being sought. In situ leaching (ISL), also known as solution mining, or in situ recovery (ISR) in North America, involves leaving the ore where it is in the ground, and recovering the minerals from it by dissolving them and pumping the pregnant solution to the surface where the minerals can be recovered. Consequently there is little surface disturbance and no tailings or waste rock generated. However, the orebody needs to be permeable to the liquids used, and located so that they do not contaminate ground water away from the orebody. Uranium ISL uses the native groundwater in the orebody which is fortified with a complexing agent and in most cases an oxidant. It is then pumped through the underground orebody to recover the minerals in it by leaching. Once the pregnant solution is returned to the surface, the uranium is recovered in much the same way as in any other uranium plant (mill). In Australian ISL mines (Beverley and the soon to be opened Honeymoon Mine) the oxidant used is hydrogen peroxide and the complexing agent sulfuric acid. -
FACT SHEET Office of Public Affairs
FACT SHEET Office of Public Affairs Phone: 301-415-8200 Email: [email protected] Uranium Recovery Background The production of fuel for nuclear power plants starts with taking uranium ore from the ground and then purifying and processing it through a series of steps. Uranium recovery focuses on extracting natural uranium ore from the earth and concentrating (or milling) that ore. These recovery operations produce a product, called "yellowcake," which is then transported to a succession of fuel cycle facilities where the yellowcake is transformed into fuel for nuclear power reactors. In addition to yellowcake, uranium recovery operations generate waste products, called byproduct materials, that contain low levels of radioactivity. The NRC does not regulate uranium mining or mining exploration, but does have authority over milling of mined materials and in situ processes used to recover uranium, as well as mill tailings. Today’s conventional uranium mills and in situ recovery (ISR) facilities are operating safely and in a manner that is protective of the environment. The NRC regulates these facilities in close coordination with other Federal agencies and State and Tribal governments and provides technical support and guidance to those Agreement States that have authority over uranium recovery activities. Discussion The NRC becomes involved in uranium recovery operations when the ore is processed and physically or chemically altered. This happens either in a conventional, heap leach uranium mill, or ISR. For that reason, the NRC regulates ISR facilities as well as uranium mills and the disposal of liquid and solid wastes from uranium recovery operations (including mill tailings). -
Implementing Safeguards-By-Design at Natural Uranium Conversion Plants
NIS Office of Nuclear Safeguards and Security Safeguards-By-Design Facility Guidance Series (NGSI-SBD-002) August 2012 Implementing Safeguards-by-design at Natural Uranium Conversion Plants U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERG National Nuclear Security AdministrationY IMPLEMENTING SAFEGUARDS-BY-DESIGN AT NATURAL URANIUM CONVERSION PLANTS Lisa Loden John Begovich Date Published: July 2012 iii CONTENTS Page CONTENTS ......................................................................................................................................... IV 1. INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE ................................................................................................. 1 2. KEY DEFINITIONS ......................................................................................................................... 2 3. SAFEGUARDS AT NUCPS ............................................................................................................. 7 3.1 SAFEGUARDS OBJECTIVES ................................................................................................. 7 3.2 TRADITIONAL AND INTEGRATED SAFEGUARDS ......................................................... 7 3.3 SAFEGUARDS RESPONSIBILITIES ..................................................................................... 8 3.3.1 STATE REGULATORY AUTHORITY RESPONSIBILITIES ..................................... 8 3.3.2 IAEA RESPONSIBILITIES ............................................................................................ 9 4. ELEMENTS OF FACILITY DESIGN THAT ARE RELEVANT -
Two Paths to a Nuclear Bomb Iran Has Historically Pursued Work on Both Uranium- and Plutonium-Weapons Programs, Western O Cials Say
Two Paths to a Nuclear Bomb Iran has historically pursued work on both uranium- and plutonium-weapons programs, Western ocials say. The 2015 nuclear deal set temporary limits on a wide range of Iran's nuclear work and committed Tehran to never work on nuclear weapons. Here's how far down those paths Iran is. Creating weapons-grade nuclear fuel Uranium 1 Low-grade uranium ore is 2 Centrifuges are set up in 3 Enriching uranium to 5% is the 4 It takes roughly 200 kg to 250 kg of 20% mined and chemically treated cascades to enrich the uranium. most time-consuming part of enriched uranium to produce the 25 kg of to produce a concentrated The sophisticated process can producing weapons-grade material. 90% enriched uranium, the amount needed yellowcake. After a conversion take years to establish. Iran Iran on Monday exceeded its for a bomb. Iran has reached 20% purity in process, it is fed into produced around 20,000 basic permitted 300-kg stockpile of the past but has never enriched above that centrifuges. centrifuges but is doing research uranium enriched to 3.67%. level. The enriched uranium is converted to Weaponizing nuclear fuel on more advanced machines. uranium metal for weapon use. Deploying the nuclear fuel in a Centrifuges weapon presents technical challenges, many of which Iran isn’t believed to have mastered. Detonating the 5% enriched Uranium Yellowcake Uranium 20% weapon requires a fission ore hexaflouride uranium 90% reaction. The nuclear payload 25kg must be attached to a missile, and the payload must be able 200-250 kg to withstand reentry through through earth's atmosphere as Plutonium it descends to its target. -
Precipitation of Aluminum Containing Species in Tank Wastes
PNNL-13881 Precipitation of Aluminum Containing Species in Tank Wastes S.V. Mattigod K.E. Parker D.T. Hobbs D.E. McCready April 2002 Prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract DE-AC06-76RL01830 PNNL-13881 DISCLAIMER This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor Battelle Memorial Institute, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof, or Battelle Memorial Institute. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof. PACIFIC NORTHWEST NATIONAL LABORATORY operated by BATTELLE for the UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY under Contract DE-AC06-76RL01830 This document was printed on recycled paper. (8/00 PNNL-13881 Precipitation of Aluminum Containing Species in Tank Wastes S. V. Mattigod D. T. Hobbs K. E. Parker D. E. McCready April 2002 Prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract DE-AC06-76RL01830 Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Richland, Washington 99352 Summary Aluminisilicate deposit buildup experienced during the tank waste volume-reduction process at the Savannah River Site (SRS) required an evaporator to be shut down in October 1999. -
Global Fissile Material Report 2006 a Table of Contents
IPF M Global Fis sile Material Report Developing the technical basis for policy initiatives to secure and irreversibly reduce stocks of nuclear weapons and fissile materials 2006 Over the past six decades, our understanding of the nuclear danger has expanded from the threat posed by the vast nuclear arsenals created by the super- powers in the Cold War to encompass the prolifera- tion of nuclear weapons to additional states and now also to terrorist groups. To reduce this danger, it is essential to secure and to sharply reduce all stocks of highly enriched uranium and separated plutonium, the key materials in nuclear weapons, and to limit any further production. The mission of the IPFM is to advance the technical basis for cooperative international policy initiatives to achieve these goals. A report published by Global Fissile The International Panel on Fissile Materials (IPFM) www.fissilematerials.org Program on Science and Global Security Princeton University Material Report 2006 221 Nassau Street, 2nd Floor Princeton, NJ 08542, USA First report of the International Panel on Fissile Materials First report of the International Panel on Fissile Materials Developing the Technical Basis for Policy Initiatives to Secure and Irreversibly Reduce Stocks of Nuclear Weapons and Fissile Materials www.fissilematerials.org Global Fissile Material Report 2006 a Table of Contents About the IPFM 1 Summary 2 I. Background 5 1 Fissile Materials and Nuclear Weapons 6 2 Nuclear-Weapon and Fissile-Material Stocks 12 3 Production and Disposition of Fissile -
Comparative Study on Precipitation Methods of Yellow
Precipitation and purification of uranium from rock phosphate Elshafeea H. Y. Abow Slama1, Etemad Ebraheem2 and Adam K. Sam1 1Sudan Atomic Energy Commission P.O. Box 3001, Khartoum-Sudan 2 Sinner University ABSTRACT This study was carried-out to leach uranium from rock phosphate using sulphuric acid in the presence of potassium chlorate as an oxidant and to investigate the relative purity of different forms of yellow cakes produced with ammonia {( NH 4 )2 U2O7 }, magnesia (UO3.xH 2O ) and sodium hydroxide Na2U 2O7 as precipitants, as well as purification of the products with TBP extraction and matching its impurity levels with specifications of the commercial products. Alpha-particle spectrometry was used for determination of activity concentration of uranium isotopes (234U and 238U) in rock phosphate, resulting green phosphoric acid solution, and in different forms of the yellow cake from which the equivalent mass concentration of uranium was deduced. Likewise, atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) was used for determination of impurities (Pb, Ni, Cd, Fe, Zn, Mn, and Cu). On the average, the equivalent mass concentration of uranium was 119.38±79.66 ppm (rock phosphate) and 57.85±20.46 ppm (green solution) with corresponding low percent of dissolution (48%) which is considered low. The isotopic ratio (234U: 238U) in all stages of hydrometallurgical process was not much differ from unity indicating lack of fractionation. Upon comparing the levels of impurities in different form of crude yellow cakes, it was found that the lowest levels were measured in UO3.xH2O. This implies that saturated magnesia is least aggressive relative to other precipitants and gives relatively pure crude cake. -
Uranium, Cesium, and Mercury Leaching and Recovery from Cemented Radioactive Wastes in Sulfuric Acid and Iodide Media
Article Uranium, Cesium, and Mercury Leaching and Recovery from Cemented Radioactive Wastes in Sulfuric Acid and Iodide Media Nicolas Reynier 1,*, Rolando Lastra 1, Cheryl Laviolette 1, Jean-François Fiset 1, Nabil Bouzoubaâ 1 and Mark Chapman 2 Received: 28 September 2015 ; Accepted: 10 November 2015 ; Published: 20 November 2015 Academic Editor: Mostafa Fayek 1 CanmetMINING, Natural Resources Canada, 3484 Limebank Rd., Ottawa, ON K1A 0E4, Canada; [email protected] (R.L.); [email protected] (C.L.); jean-francois.fi[email protected] (J.-F.F.); [email protected] (N.B.) 2 Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk River Laboratories, Plant Road, Chalk River, ON K0J 1 J0, Canada; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +1-613-954-5602; Fax: +1-613-954-6929 Abstract: The Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) is developing a long-term management strategy for its existing inventory of solid radioactive cemented wastes, which contain uranium, mercury, fission products, and a number of minor elements. The composition of the cemented radioactive waste poses significant impediments to the extraction and recovery of uranium using conventional technology. The goal of this research was to develop an innovative method for uranium, mercury and cesium recovery from surrogate radioactive cemented waste (SRCW). Leaching using sulfuric acid and saline media significantly improves the solubilization of the key elements from the SRCW. Increasing the NaCl concentration from 0.5 to 4 M increases the mercury solubilization from 82% to 96%. The sodium chloride forms a soluble mercury complex when mercury is present as HgO or metallic mercury but not with HgS that is found in 60 ˝C cured SRCW. -
Spectroscopic Signatures of Uranium Speciation for Forensics
UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones May 2017 Spectroscopic Signatures of Uranium Speciation for Forensics Nicholas Wozniak University of Nevada, Las Vegas Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/thesesdissertations Part of the Chemistry Commons Repository Citation Wozniak, Nicholas, "Spectroscopic Signatures of Uranium Speciation for Forensics" (2017). UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones. 3063. http://dx.doi.org/10.34917/10986257 This Dissertation is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by Digital Scholarship@UNLV with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Dissertation in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/or on the work itself. This Dissertation has been accepted for inclusion in UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones by an authorized administrator of Digital Scholarship@UNLV. For more information, please contact [email protected]. SPECTROSCOPIC SIGNATURES OF URANIUM SPECIATION FOR FORENSICS By Nicholas Robert Wozniak Bachelors of Science – Chemistry Bachelors of Science – Physics Hope College 2012 A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy – Radiochemistry Department of Chemistry College of Sciences The Graduate College University of Nevada, Las Vegas May 2017 Dissertation Approval The Graduate College The University of Nevada, Las Vegas April 14, 2017 This dissertation prepared by Nicholas Robert Wozniak entitled Spectroscopic Signatures of Uranium Speciation for Forensics is approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy – Radiochemistry Department of Chemistry Ken Czerwinski, Ph.D. -
Managing the Nuclear Fuel Cycle: Policy Implications of Expanding Global Access to Nuclear Power
Managing the Nuclear Fuel Cycle: Policy Implications of Expanding Global Access to Nuclear Power Mary Beth Nikitin, Coordinator Specialist in Nonproliferation Anthony Andrews Specialist in Energy and Defense Policy Mark Holt Specialist in Energy Policy October 19, 2012 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov RL34234 CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Managing the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Summary After several decades of widespread stagnation, nuclear power has attracted renewed interest in recent years. New license applications for 30 reactors have been announced in the United States, and another 548 are under construction, planned, or proposed around the world. In the United States, interest appears driven, in part, by tax credits, loan guarantees, and other incentives in the 2005 Energy Policy Act, as well as by concerns about carbon emissions from competing fossil fuel technologies. A major concern about the global expansion of nuclear power is the potential spread of nuclear fuel cycle technology—particularly uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing—that could be used for nuclear weapons. Despite 30 years of effort to limit access to uranium enrichment, several undeterred states pursued clandestine nuclear programs, the A.Q. Khan black market network’s sales to Iran and North Korea representing the most egregious examples. However, concern over the spread of enrichment and reprocessing technologies may be offset by support for nuclear power as a cleaner and more secure alternative to fossil fuels. The Obama Administration has expressed optimism that advanced nuclear technologies being developed by the Department of Energy may offer proliferation resistance. The Administration has also pursued international incentives and agreements intended to minimize the spread of fuel cycle facilities. -
Modification of Base-Side 99Mo Production Processes for Leu Metal-Foil Targets
MODIFICATION OF BASE-SIDE 99MO PRODUCTION PROCESSES FOR LEU METAL-FOIL TARGETS G. F. Vandegrift, R. A. Leonard, S. Aase, J. Sedlet, Y. Koma, C. Conner, C. R. Clark, and M. K. Meyer Argonne National Laboratory Argonne, Illinois, and Idaho Falls, Idaho, U.S.A. ABSTRACT Argonne National Laboratory is cooperating with the National Atomic Energy Commission of the Argentine Republic (CNEA) to convert their 99Mo production process, which uses high enriched uranium (HEU), to low-enriched uranium (LEU). The program is multifaceted; however, discussed in this paper are (1) results of laboratory experiments to develop means for substituting LEU metal-foil targets into the current process and (2) preparation of uranium-alloy or uranium-metal/aluminum-dispersion targets. Although 99Mo production is a multi-step process, the first two steps (target dissolution and primary molybdenum recovery) are by far the most important in the conversion. Commonly, once molybdenum is separated from the bulk of the uranium, the remainder of the process need not be modified. Our results show that, up to this point in our study, conversion of the CNEA process to LEU appears viable. INTRODUCTION A number of current producers dissolve uranium-aluminide/aluminum-dispersion plates in alkaline solution as an initial step to recovering fission-product 99Mo from irradiated high- enriched uranium (HEU). These producers include Argentine Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica (CNEA), Institut National des Radioéléments (IRE), Mallinckrodt, and the Atomic Energy Corporation of South Africa Limited (AEC). Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) has begun a cooperation with one of these producers, CNEA, to convert their process to low- enriched uranium (LEU). -
Uranium Mining Communities in the American West
Contents List of Illustrations vii Acknowledgments ix Introduction xv 1 From Weed to Weapon: U.S. Uranium, 1898–1945 1 2 To Stimulate Production and in Interest of Security: 17 The First Cold War Uranium Boom, 1946–1958 3 Uranium Company Towns in the American West 37 4 The Uranium Capital of the World I: Moab 53 5 The Uranium Capital of the World II: Grants 77 6 Allocation, Protectionism, and Subsistence: 105 Changing Federal Policies to Preserve Domestic Producers, 1958–1970 7 Creatures of Uncle Sam: Yellowcake Communities 115 During the Allocation and Stretch-out Periods 8 The Commercial Boom and Bust: Federal Policies and 135 the Free Market, 1970–1988 9 Yellowcake Towns During the Commercial Boom and 149 Bust, 1970–1988 10 Conclusion 173 Bibliography 181 Index 197 Introduction S INCE THE END OF THE COLD WAR in 1989, Americans have begun to consider seriously the social costs exacted by the development of the atom. Recent disclosures have revealed radiation tests conducted on unknowing children. Similar studies have probed cancer rates in the inter- montane West presumably caused by nuclear testing. Still others have ex- amined the survival of cities such as Hanford, Washington, and Los Alamos, New Mexico, where the first bombs and reactors were manufactured.1 But little scholarly attention has been directed to the supply side of the indus- try. Although some recent works have examined the environmental conse- quences of uranium mining and the cancer rates among its miners, there is little mention of the well-being of the communities impacted by the min- ing and milling of yellowcake, the industry’s term for processed uranium ore.2 This study analyzes the origins, development, and decline of four such yellowcake communities: Uravan, Colorado; Moab, Utah; Grants, New Mexico; and Jeffrey City, Wyoming.