RO118948B1 - Process for removal and recovery of uranium from uraniferous waste water - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a process for the removal and recovery of uranium from uraniferous waste water, for processing thereof and to purifying the industrial uranium concentrate. The uraniferous waste water having the above mentioned origin contains uranium at values higher than the concentration of 0.021 mgU/l and 0.1...0.3 mg U/ l respectively, provided by the legal norms in force and by water managing agreements in the nuclear enterprises, which leads to an increased radiologic risk for the population and environment. According to the invention, the process eliminates the disadvantages of other known processes, by reducing the uranium content in uraniferous water at the levels of the norms in force, also allowing the recovery in unitary flow of said radioelement as a recyclable product, namely the sodium diuranate. The uraniferous water is treated by contacting with ion exchange resin, Purolite A 600 U, highly basic, of gel-type, having the matrix of styrene-divenylbenzene polymer and ammonium cuaternary groups. After the treatment, a waste water having an uranium concentration of 0.02...0.3 mg U/ l is obtained. During the sorption of the uranium, the resin is charged with 10...18 g U/ l. The regeneration-elution of the charged resin is made with a solution containing 80 g of NaCl/ l and 5 g Na2CO3/ l and an industrial sodium diuranate is precipitated from the uraniferous eluate at a temperature of 80°C, by adding a NaOH solution.