Forms of Uranium Presence in Soil on the Territory of the Sublimate Shop at AEKhK AO

Abstract

Integrated study of the physicochemical state of uranium in radioactively contaminated soils of the sublimate shop of Angara electrolysis chemical combine AO (SS AEKhK AO). According to the X-ray absorption spectroscopy, the predominant form of uranium is (UVIO2)2+ in all the soil samples studied. The scanning electron microscopy combined with X-ray fluorescence microanalysis was used to characterize the composition and morphology of uranium-containing particles with sizes of fractions to several tens of micrometers everywhere occurring in the soils. It was shown that the predominant fractions of accessible uranium in the soils are the “carbonate” fraction (40–60%) and that associated with Fe/Mn oxides. A considerable part of uranium is bound to clayey minerals. Data on the forms of uranium were used to develop a technology for purification of the radioactively contaminated soil by the method of hydroseparation with reagent processing of the isolated target fraction.