Pilot plant development of processes for the production of ammonium diuranate
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Date
1975-01
Authors
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Publisher
Australian Atomic Energy Commission
Abstract
Nuclear grade ammonium diuranate (ADU) and UO powders were produced on a pilot plant scale by the continuous single-stage precipitation of ADU with ammonium hydroxide, dewatering with a rotary drum vacuum filter or a solid bowl centrifuge, and batch-tray drying and calcination-reduction to UO powder.
Precipitation at 50ºC and pH values in the range 7.2 to 8.0 produced ADU materials which could be converted to UO powder by calcination and reduction at temperatures of 600 to 730ºC, and fabricated into sintered pellets with densities of 10.37 to 10.77 g cm-3. The lower the pH of precipitation the lower was the reduction temperature required to achieve a specified pellet density. Precipitation with ammonium hydroxide at 80ºC and with ammonia gas at 50ºC offered no advantages over precipitation with ammonium hydroxide at 50ºC. The UO2 powders and sintered pellets produced from ADU powders precipitated by the three methods were similar.
Precipitation at pH 7.5 and 50ºC is recommended since a reasonably filterable precipitate can be produced reproducibly without a need for stringent control, and considerable flexibility is available in the subsequent production of a sinterable UO2 powder. Dewatering of ADU slurries was carried out more efficiently using a solid bowl centrifuge rather than a rotary drum vacuum filter. Clearer discharge liquids were produced at a higher rate of throughput in the solid bowl centrifuge.
Description
Keywords
Calcination, Precipitation, Slurries, Ammonium hydroxides, Uranium dioxide, Pilot plants
Citation
Janov, J., Alfredson, P., & Vilkaitis, V. (1975). Pilot plant development of processes for the production of ammonium diuranate (AAEC/E333). Lucas Heights, N.S.W.: Australian Atomic Energy Commission, Research Establishment.