Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine the kinetics of the dissolution of a uranium residue in ammonium carbonate media. The residue is generated in the production of medical isotopes. The effects of parameters, such as varying peroxide and carbonate concentrations, dissolution time as well as temperature on the extraction rate have been separately studied. Results indicate complete dissolution of the residue at 60 °C, after 30 min, in ammonium carbonate solution enriched with hydrogen peroxide. The yield and rate of uranium extraction were found to increase as a function of both temperature, in the range of 25–60 °C, and hydrogen peroxide concentration. The extraction process was governed by chemical reaction as the activation energy was found to be 45.5 kJ/mol. The order of reaction with respect to uranium concentration was found to be approximately first order.
Highlights
The purpose of this study was to determine the kinetics of the dissolution of a uranium residue in ammonium carbonate media
Results indicate complete dissolution of the residue at 60 °C, after 30 min, in ammonium carbonate solution enriched with hydrogen peroxide
The uranium residue consists of insoluble precipitate that forms when target plates of uranium and aluminum alloy are dissolved during the production of molybdenum-99 for use in technetium generators
Summary
The uranium residue consists of insoluble precipitate that forms when target plates of uranium and aluminum alloy are dissolved during the production of molybdenum-99 for use in technetium generators. This process was developed by the Karlsruhe Nuclear Research Center in Germany [1]. The plates are dissolved in a strong base medium of sodium hydroxide. This results in the dissolution of the aluminum matrix as well as the fission products: molybdenum, cesium, strontium, barium, antimony, tellurium, iodine and a portion of the ruthenium and zirconium. The insoluble residue that remains contains more than 90 % of uranium that is present in a mixture of oxidation states [2]
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