Abstract
Uranyl hydrolysis precipitates were obtained by increasing pH value of aqueous uranyl solution in the range of neutral to alkaline pH value and their phase transformation during the solubility experiment under various conditions has been examined. The precipitates formed in the hydrolysis reaction of uranyl ion had a layered structure such as a meta-schoepite phase, a schoepite structure, or a mixed phase of meta-schoepite and schoepite. Phase transformation between them was strongly dependent on the pH value at which the precipitate was formed. The distance between the layers in meta-schoepite or schoepite phase was ∼7.35 Å, and it was increased with the pH value at which the precipitate was synthesized as well as the pH values of the aqueous solution. The phase transformation from a meta-schoepite to schoepite was fast for the precipitates formed at low pH values, however, it was not the case for the precipitates formed at high pH values. A small difference of pH value in aqueous solution gave a great change on its solubilities near pH 9.7, because a layered structure of the precipitates became amorphous above that pH value. Greater solubility for the precipitate formed at higher pH value can be explained from the fact that the precipitates formed at low pH value had a better crystallinity and also that the precipitates formed at higher pH value has a slower rate of crystallization.
