Patent ID: 7192563
Filing Date: 2007-03-20
Classification: C22B,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A process for recovery of uranium from aqueous fertilizer grade weak phosphoric acid comprising: first extracting aqueous fertilizer grade weak phosphoric acid with a solvent blend comprising 1 M to 1.6 M di(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (D2EHPA) and 0.1 M to 0.3 M tri-n-butyl phosphate (TBP) in refined kerosene, wherein the molar ratio of D2EHPA to TBP is 10:1 to 5:1 in the refined kerosene, to provide a first extract; reductive stripping for first extract with 11 M to 14 M phosphoric acid to provide loaded phosphoric acid; diluting the loaded phosphoric acid with water to the concentration of the aqueous fertilizer grade weak phosphoric acid to provide a diluted loaded phosphoric acid; oxidizing the diluted loaded phosphoric acid; second extracting the diluted loaded phosphoric acid with 1 M to 1.6 M D2EHPA and 0.1 M to 0.3 M TBP, wherein the molar ratio of D2EHPA to TBP is 10:1 to 5:1 in refined kerosene, to provide a second extract; scrubbing the second extract with 4.5 M–5.5 M sulfuric acid to provide a scrubbed second extract; stripping the scrubbed second extract with a solution of alkali carbonate to provide a stripped second extract; and recovering uranium values from the stripped second extract.