US2905551A - Manufacturing of metallic uranium - Google Patents

Manufacturing of metallic uranium Download PDF

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Publication number
US2905551A
US2905551A US554909A US55490955A US2905551A US 2905551 A US2905551 A US 2905551A US 554909 A US554909 A US 554909A US 55490955 A US55490955 A US 55490955A US 2905551 A US2905551 A US 2905551A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
uranium
silicon
oxides
approximately
silicides
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US554909A
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English (en)
Inventor
Voos Walter
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Lonza Electric and Chemical Works Ltd
Original Assignee
Lonza Electric and Chemical Works Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Lonza Electric and Chemical Works Ltd filed Critical Lonza Electric and Chemical Works Ltd
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US2905551A publication Critical patent/US2905551A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22B—PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS; PRETREATMENT OF RAW MATERIALS
    • C22B60/00—Obtaining metals of atomic number 87 or higher, i.e. radioactive metals
    • C22B60/02—Obtaining thorium, uranium, or other actinides
    • C22B60/0204—Obtaining thorium, uranium, or other actinides obtaining uranium
    • C22B60/0213—Obtaining thorium, uranium, or other actinides obtaining uranium by dry processes
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22B—PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS; PRETREATMENT OF RAW MATERIALS
    • C22B60/00—Obtaining metals of atomic number 87 or higher, i.e. radioactive metals
    • C22B60/02—Obtaining thorium, uranium, or other actinides
    • C22B60/0204—Obtaining thorium, uranium, or other actinides obtaining uranium
    • C22B60/0208—Obtaining thorium, uranium, or other actinides obtaining uranium preliminary treatment of ores or scrap
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22B—PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS; PRETREATMENT OF RAW MATERIALS
    • C22B60/00—Obtaining metals of atomic number 87 or higher, i.e. radioactive metals
    • C22B60/02—Obtaining thorium, uranium, or other actinides
    • C22B60/0204—Obtaining thorium, uranium, or other actinides obtaining uranium
    • C22B60/0217—Obtaining thorium, uranium, or other actinides obtaining uranium by wet processes
    • C22B60/0221—Obtaining thorium, uranium, or other actinides obtaining uranium by wet processes by leaching
    • C22B60/0247—Obtaining thorium, uranium, or other actinides obtaining uranium by wet processes by leaching using basic solutions or liquors

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a process for the manufacture of metallic uranium.
  • the primary object of the present invention is to generally improve the manufacture of metallic uranium.
  • a more specific object is to provide a process which will make it possible to reduce uranium oxides to metal without the roundabout Way over the halides.
  • Other objects of this invention will appear from the following description.
  • the objects are achieved by comminuting the starting uranium oxides, working the comminuted oxides with a reducing gelatinous preparation into a paste, thoroughly mixing the mass thus obtained with silicon powder, and compressing the mixture into one or more individual pieces.
  • the compressed pieces are heated and subjected to a reducing action and yield a melt bearing uranium and silicon.
  • the silicides in the melt are converted by a thermal aftertreatment into an alloy which will contain the silicon in a form that is extractable by alkaline liquors.
  • the alloy is reduced to a finely divided form, the silicon is extracted by means of alkaline liquors, and the residual skeleton of uranium metal powder is separated from the solution, washed, and dried.
  • Uranium oxides are the starting material. I prefer to use U but other oxidation levels may be considered as well, provided they are readily available.
  • the paste is prepared, for instance, as follows: Of the weight of the U 0 powder, approximately 2% potato starch flour, such as Knorr potato starch flour, are required. Thus, 6 parts by weight of potato starch flour are needed for 300 parts by weight of U 0 For each parts by weight of U 0 50 parts of cold water are needed. The calculated amount of potato flour is gradually stirred into the water which is then heated to boiling. A jelly is formed into which the U 0 powder is mixed. This procedure aims at having each U 0 particle well enveloped by the jelly. I have found that this is necessary if the subsequent reduction is to be performed successfully and without excessive formation of dross.
  • (a) Drying The Si and U-bearing jelly obtained by operation (4) is dried at a temperature not exceeding 100 C.
  • the gelatinous mass may be spread in form of a cake, for instance, on a sheet of metal, the bottom of which has previously been sprayed with machine oil to facilitate the release of the dried material.
  • the metal sheet may be filled to two thirds of the height of its raised edge.
  • Heating and reduction of the compressed pieces This may be done, for instance, as follows:
  • uranium silicides are converted into an alloy which will contain the silicon in a form that can be leached by alkali. This is best done in a high-vacuum furnace in the absence of reactive compounds, for instance, in a protective atmosphere of gases of the helium group, such as helium, argon, neon. If no such gas is available, the material may, in an emergency, be treated under a cover of borax.
  • the temperature of treatment may be raised just below the melting point of the alloy, which temperature may be 3 somewhere between 1,100 and .1,400 C., preferably between 1,200 and 1,300.
  • the time of treatment is, for instance, three hours.
  • the alloy of uranium and silicon thus'obtained is practicallyfree ofsilicides and con- "tains' the silicon in extractableform.
  • the alloy is reduced topowder sothat'no.foreign.meta1s,fsuch as iron, are introduced (rolling mill with wheels .ofhard manganese steel or roller mill).
  • the fineness of the powder should correspond, for instance, tothe German standard DIN 80 (screen with 6400 openings per square centimeter, 0.075 mm. diameterofthe opening).
  • the uranium is extremely sensitive to NaOH (cobalt behaves similarly to uranium in this respect).
  • NaOH such as 500 g./l. NaOH
  • the extraction istherefore performed with diluted liquors containing, for instance, 40 to 70, preferably50 to 60 g./l. NaOH.
  • the temperatures used are only slightly above room' temperature, that is, between '30, and 40 C., preferably 35-3 6 C. After this treatment, I prefer to run a controlanalysis to ascertain that 2.11 Si was dissolved. Otherwise, leaching must be continued under the conditions mentioned hereinbefore until practically all Si is dissolved.
  • the uranium metal powder which remains undissolved in the characteristic skeleton form is thoroughly Washed in the usual way and then dried. 1

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  • General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Geology (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Metallurgy (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Silicon Compounds (AREA)
  • Manufacture Of Metal Powder And Suspensions Thereof (AREA)
US554909A 1954-12-24 1955-12-22 Manufacturing of metallic uranium Expired - Lifetime US2905551A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CH2905551X 1954-12-24

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US2905551A true US2905551A (en) 1959-09-22

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ID=4572684

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US554909A Expired - Lifetime US2905551A (en) 1954-12-24 1955-12-22 Manufacturing of metallic uranium

Country Status (4)

Country Link
US (1) US2905551A (de)
CH (1) CH333263A (de)
DE (1) DE1013432B (de)
FR (1) FR1143269A (de)

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US854018A (en) * 1905-09-23 1907-05-21 Electro Metallurg Co Process of reducing metallic oxids.
US866421A (en) * 1907-01-31 1907-09-17 Electro Metallurg Co Process of effecting chemical reductions and producing metals or alloys.
US874977A (en) * 1899-05-22 1907-12-31 Charles Ludwig Rudolf Ernest Menges Incandescent electric lamp.
US929578A (en) * 1907-08-24 1909-07-27 Gen Electric Treating metal filaments.
US982135A (en) * 1908-12-22 1911-01-17 Gen Electric Method of producing ferroboron.
US1019394A (en) * 1910-07-20 1912-03-05 Gen Electric Reduction of chemical compounds.

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US874977A (en) * 1899-05-22 1907-12-31 Charles Ludwig Rudolf Ernest Menges Incandescent electric lamp.
US854018A (en) * 1905-09-23 1907-05-21 Electro Metallurg Co Process of reducing metallic oxids.
US866421A (en) * 1907-01-31 1907-09-17 Electro Metallurg Co Process of effecting chemical reductions and producing metals or alloys.
US929578A (en) * 1907-08-24 1909-07-27 Gen Electric Treating metal filaments.
US982135A (en) * 1908-12-22 1911-01-17 Gen Electric Method of producing ferroboron.
US1019394A (en) * 1910-07-20 1912-03-05 Gen Electric Reduction of chemical compounds.

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR1143269A (fr) 1957-09-27
DE1013432B (de) 1957-08-08
CH333263A (de) 1958-10-15

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