RECOVERY OF URANIUM

• US 20200131602A1
• Filed: 05/18/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC (Dow, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC (Dow, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bester, Jaco, DELAMEILLEURE, Stephane, ZAGANIARIS, Emmanuel
• Granted Patent: US 11,384,411 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: C22B 60/0265 extraction by solid resins
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/20 Recycling

Abstract

A process is provided for recovering uranium comprising

• • (A) bringing a solution (A) into contact with a resin (A) to produce a mixture of solution (B) and resin (B), wherein the solution (A) is an aqueous solution comprising dissolved sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, or a mixture thereof, and wherein the resin (A) is a strong acid cation exchange resin that comprises one or more cationic moiety that comprises uranium and one or more cationic moiety that comprises iron, and
  • (B) separating the solution (B) from the resin (B).

Claims

1. A process for recovering uranium comprising

(A) bringing a solution (A) into contact with a resin (A) to produce a mixture of solution (B) and resin (B), wherein the solution (A) is an aqueous solution comprising dissolved sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, or a mixture thereof, and wherein the resin (A) is a strong acid cation exchange resin that comprises one or more cationic moiety that comprises uranium and one or more cationic moiety that comprises iron, and

(B) separating the solution (B) from the resin (B).

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the process further comprises the steps, prior to step (A), of

(W) bringing a solution (W) into contact with a resin (W) to produce a mixture of a solution (X) and the resin (X),

wherein the resin (W) is a strong acid cation exchange resin that comprises one or more cationic moiety that comprises uranium, one or more cationic moiety that comprises iron, and one or more cationic moiety that is a hydrogen atom,

wherein the solution (W) is an aqueous solution that has pH of 8 or higher and that comprises dissolved NaOH or dissolved NH₄OH or a mixture thereof;

(X) separating the solution (X) from the resin (X); and

(Y) after the step (X), using the resin (X) as the resin (A) in the step (A).

3. The process of claim 2, wherein the process further comprises the steps, prior to the step (W), of

(R) bringing a solution (R) into contact with a resin (R) to produce a mixture of a solution (S) and the resin (S), wherein the solution (R) is an aqueous solution that comprises 30 to 200 gL sulfuric acid and that comprises 1 to 50 g/L uranium, and wherein the resin (R) is a strong acid cation exchange resin,

(S) separating the solution (S) from the resin (S);

(T) after the step (S), using the resin (S) as the resin (W) in the step (W).

4. The process of claim 1, wherein the process further comprises the steps, prior to the step (A), of

(R) bringing a solution (R) into contact with a resin (R) to produce a mixture of a solution (S) and a resin (S), wherein the solution (R) is an aqueous solution that comprises 30 to 200 g/L sulfuric acid and that comprises 1 to 50 g/L uranium, and wherein the resin (R) is a strong acid cation exchange resin;

(S) separating the solution (S) from the resin (S); and

(T) after the step (S), using the resin (S) as the resin (A) in the step (A).

5. The process of claim 1, wherein the process further comprises the steps, after the step (A), of

(C) bringing a solution (C) into contact with the resin (B) to produce a mixture of a solution (D) and a resin (C), wherein the solution (C) is an aqueous solution that comprises dissolved H₂SO₄ and dissolved Na₂SO₄, and

(D) separating the solution (D) from the resin (C).

6. The process of claim 1, wherein the process further comprises the steps, subsequent to the step (B), of

(E) forming a mixture of a solution (E) and said solution (B), to form a mixture of a solution (F) and a precipitate (F), wherein the solution (E) is an aqueous solution that comprises dissolved sodium hydroxide, dissolved ammonium hydroxide, or a mixture thereof;

and

(F) separating the solution (F) from the precipitate (F).