Extraction of Uranium (U)

It's include all process in Uranium extraction

1. Extraction of Uranium (U)
Department of MME
Extraction of Non-Ferrous Metals

2. Details about of U
Atomic Number: 92
Atomic Weight: 238.03 amu
Density: 19.1 gm/cm
3
Melting Point: 1405.3 K
Boiling Point: 4404 K
Theelementuranium(U)wasdiscoveredbyaGermanchemistKlaprothin1789.
MetallicuraniumwasfirstpreparedbyPeligot,whoshowedthatthesubstance
discoveredbyKlaprothwastheoxideofuranium.Uraniumisthebasic(primary)
nuclearfuel,sinceitcontainstheonlynaturallyoccurringfissionablematerial.

3. Common Minerals of Uranium
Name Chemical Formula
Pitchblend U
3O
8
Uraninite UO
2, UO
3
Carnotite K
2O.2UO
3.V
2O
5.xH
2O
Automite CaO.2UO
3.P
2O
5.xH
2O
Uranophane CaO.2UO
3.2SiO
2.7H
2O
Davidite [(Fe, Ce, U) (Ti, Fe, V, Cr)
3(O.OH)
7]
Tyuyamunite CaO.2UO
3.V
2O
5.xH
2O
Brannerite (U, Ca, Fe, Y, Th)
3Ti
15O
16]
Schroeckingerite 3CaO.Na
2O.UO
3.3CO
2.SO
3.10H
2O
Apart from its minerals, U is also
obtained as by-product from
other sources like monazite sand.

4. Extraction of Uranium Ingot

5. Uses or Applications of U
Uraniumisaveryimportantelementbecauseitprovidesuswithnuclearfuelusedtogenerateelectricityin
nuclearpowerstations.Itisalsothemajormaterialfromwhichothersynthetictransuraniumelementsare
made
Naturallyoccurringuraniumconsistsof99%uranium-238and1%uranium-235.Uranium-235istheonly
naturallyoccurringfissionablefuel(afuelthatcansustainachainreaction).Uraniumfuelusedinnuclear
reactorsisenrichedwithuranium-235.Thechainreactioniscarefullycontrolledusingneutron-absorbing
materials.Theheatgeneratedbythefuelisusedtocreatesteamtoturnturbinesandgenerateelectricalpower.
Inabreederreactoruranium-238capturesneutronsandundergoesnegativebetadecaytobecomeplutonium-
239.Thissynthetic,fissionableelementcanalsosustainachainreaction.
Depleteduraniumisuraniumthathasmuchlessuranium-235thannaturaluranium.Itisconsiderablyless
radioactivethannaturaluranium.Itisadensemetalthatcanbeusedasballastforshipsandcounterweights
foraircraft.Itisalsousedinammunitionandarmor.
Uraniumisalsousedbythemilitarytopowernuclearsubmarinesandinnuclearweapons.