• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.263-270
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• 2012

Two kinds of uranium species, oxidized uranium(VI) and reduced uranium(IV), were prepared to be interacted with goethite and montmorillonite to identify sorption characteristic of uranium species, which are very sensitive to the redox-reaction. The reduced uranium was prepared by diluting a substantial uranium(IV) that was concomitantly produced during a sulfate reduction via a sulfate-reducing bacterium. The sorption amount of uranium(IV) by the minerals was relatively lower than that of uranium(VI) because the aqueous uranium(IV) had fine colloidal forms to cause its weak adsorption onto the mineral surfaces. We found that the uranium(IV) phase has a nano-colloid character by the transmission electron microscope, suggesting that the uranium species possibly migrating with the flow of groundwater in underground environments can be the colloidal uranium(IV) as well as the ionic uranium(VI).

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.235-243
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• 2006

In this study, an experimental study on the sorption properties of uranium(VI) onto a bentonite colloid generated from Gyeongju bentonite which is a potential buffer material in a high-level radioactive waste repository was performed as a function of the pH and the ionic strength. The bentonite colloid prepared by separating a colloidal fraction was mainly composed of montmorillonite. The concentration and the size fraction of the prepared bentonite colloid measured using a gravitational filtration method was about 5100 ppm and 200-450 nm in diameter, respectively. The amount of uranium removed by the sorption reaction bottle walls, by precipitation, and by ultrafiltration was analyzed by carrying out some blank tests. The removed amount of uranium was found not to be significant except the case of ultrafiltration at 0.001 M $NaClO_4$. The ultrafiltration was significant in the lower ionic strength of 0.001 M $NaClO_4$ due to the cationic sorption onto the ultrafilter by a surface charge reversion. The distribution coefficient $K_d$ (or pseudo-colloid formation constant) of uranium(VI) for the bentonite colloid was about $10^4{\sim}10^7mL/g$ depending upon pH and ionic strength of $NaClO_4$ and the $K_d$ was highest in the neutral pH around 6.5. It is noted that the sorption of uranium(VI) onto the bentonite colloid is closely related with aqueous species of uranium depending upon geochemical parameters such as pH, ionic strength, and carbonate concentration. As a consequence, the bentonite colloids generated from a bentonite buffer can mobilize the uranium(VI) as a colloidal form through geological media due to their high sorption capacity.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.320-325
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• 1978

In order to elucidate the mechanism associated with the solvent extraction of uranium(VI) using DEPA and DPPA as extractant the uranium(VI) complexes formed during the solvent extraction were isolated and characterized by means of IR, NMR, chemical analysis and molecular weight determination. It has been found that uranium(VI) replaces the acidic hydrogen ions of the extractants DEPA and DPPA to form chelated polynuclear complexes, the molecular weight of U(VI)-DEPA complex being $2.1{\times}10^4$. The isolated U(VI)-DEPA complex has been found to be the same chemical species as is formed during the solvent extraction process. In case of DEPA the distribution coefficient of uranium is the largest of the pure aqueous uranium solution and is increasing for the acidic solutions in the order of $H_3PO_4.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.475-480
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• 1998

A study on the electrochemical reduction of uranium (VI) to uranium (IV) was carried out in the mixed phases of an organic phase with uranium (VI) and aqueous phase of nitric acid by use of a highly packed glassy carbon (GC) fiber column electrode system, and a model for in-situ electrolytic stripping of uranium (VI) was suggested. The electrochemical reduction of uranium (VI) occurred faster in organic phase than in aqueous phase of the mixed phases. The uranium stripping yield increased and then became constant with the increase of organic flow rate of the electrolytic system due to the increase of diffusion resistance of uranium ions in the organic phase into the aqueous phase. Aqueous flow rate, on the other hand, didn't affect the total uranium (VI) reduction current in the system. The system combined with electrochemical reduction was confirmed to be much more effective than the simple system without it in stripping uranium.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.117-122
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• 1983

The chelating agent with $\beta$-diketo funtional group, 1-phenyl-3-methyl-4-acyl-pyrazolone-5-one, has been used in separating and extracting radionuclides in a waste solution. The derivatives of this pyrazolone compound, prepared by different acyl groups, were synthesized and examined to figure out the extracting ability for Uranium (VI) and Zirconium (IV). The product prepared with succinic anhydride, called succinyl pyrazolone, showed excellent extraction for uranium (VI) in a chloroform solvent system. This result indicates that acyl pyrazolones having carboxylic acid group as a functional group forming $\beta$-diketo functionality are very selective for uranium (VI) and generally other metal ions with high valency.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.135-143
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• 2004

An experimental study on the sorption of U(VI) onto a Korean granite was performed as a function of the geochemical parameters such as contact time, pH, ionic strength, and carbonate concentration using a batch procedure. The distribution coefficient,$K_d$, was about 1-200 mL/g depending on the experimental conditions. The sorption of U(VI) onto granite particles was greatly dependent upon the contact time, pH, and carbonate concentration, but insignificantly dependent on the ionic strength. It was noticed that the sorption of U(VI) onto granite particles was highly correlated with the uranium speciation in the solution, which was dependent on the pH and carbonate concentrations. It was deduced from the kinetic sorption experiment that a two-step first-order kinetic behavior could dominate the kinetic sorption of U(VI) onto granite particles. In the alkaline range of a pH above 7, U(VI) sorption was greatly decreased and this might be due to the formation of anionic U(VI)-carbonate aqueous complexes as predicted by the speciation calculations.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.64-74
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• 2021

The importance of uranium metal is growing day by day in light of its increasing global demand for fulfilling societal needs through atomic power programs. Considering the high demand for uranium, it is necessary to find innovative hydrometallurgical techniques to separate uranium from other associated elements, especially vanadium. This study deals with the separation of uranium(VI) and vanadium(V) from sulfuric acid solutions using commercial amine-based extractants diluted in kerosene. The concentrations of the sulfuric acid solutions ranged from 0.005 to 5.0 mol/L. The effect of extractant concentration ranging from 0.005 to 0.2 mol/L was studied. The temperature was maintained at 25℃ and the experiment was performed for 30 min at an aqueous: organic phase ratio of 1 (A:O = 1:1). The calculated separation factors (SFs) are presented and comparisons are made among all the experiments.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.143-147
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• 2008

U(IV) ion, the valance state of uranium presumed at in a deep-depth disposal of a spent fuel, was prepared and separated from U(VI) ion. In order to prepare U(IV) ion, tests were performed by adding several reducing agents into a uranyl solution or by dissolution of uranium oxide in a mixed acid added with a reducing agent. The valance states of the uranium in the prepared solutions were identified by separating two ions with a Dowex AG 50W-X8 cation exchange resins and measuring the solutions using a laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy. However, U(IV) and U(VI) were not separated by a Lichroprep Si60 exchange resin in the same separation condition of Pu(IV) and Pu(VI).

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.233-242
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• 1988

The uranium(VI) complexes with new unsaturated macrocyclic ligands of cryptand types and the neodymium(III) complexes with cryptand 222 and DBC ligands have been investigated polarographically in dimethylsulfoxide solvent. The reduction states, electron numbers involved in the reduction process, effects of the added acid on the polarograms of complexes, and the mechanisms of the reduction electrode reactions have been examined. The stability constants and mole-ratio of new complexes were also obtained by polarographic method. The reaction of ligands was controlled by the diffusion in the reduction with four electrons at a step, whereas the redox reaction with six electrons at three steps in $UO_2\;^{2+}$ complexes with macrocyclic ligands and the redox reaction with one electron at a step in $Nd^{3+}$ complexes with cryptand 222 and DBC have been observed. The imine ligands formed stable complexes with uranium(VI) above pH 7.0, and the neodymium(III) complexes with cryptand 222 and DBC ligands were stable above pH 4.0.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.425-432
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• 1994

Voltammogram analysis of U(VI) reduction at electrochemically non-pretreated/pretreated Ti electrodes in nitric acid and hydrazine($N_2$H$_4$)/protonated hydrazine($N_2$H$_{5}$$^{＋}$) media was done in order to determine the effect of hydrazine form and Ti electrode condition on the reduction of U(VI) in nitric acid. In the case of non-pretreated Ti electrode, the reduction in nitric acid and hydrazine mono-hydrate solution needed a high activation overpotential and was affected by the ratio of hydrazine to nitric acid rather than by only absolute amount of hydrazine because of the decrease of solution conductivity and increase of iR drop, which were caused by proton consumption in the solution by the hydrazine. In the case of pretreated Ti electrode in nitric acid and protonated hydrazine solution, the reduction current peaks of U(VI) were clearer and higher enough to perform a kinetic analysis, compared with the case with the non-pretreated Ti electrode at the same potential, and the behavior was strongly affected by nitric acid. The presence of hydrazine was important in the reduction of U(VI) at the pretreated Ti electrode for preventing the reoxidation of U(IV), but the concentration of protonated hydrazine was not.t.