You are here: Home :: Area NEM :: Chemistry :: Physical chemistry

H.T. Fukuma, E.A.N. Fernandes, A.L. Quinelato

Distribution of natural radionuclides during the processing of phosphate rock from Itataia-Brazil for production of phosphoric acid and uranium concentrate

A high-uranium phosphate rock from the Itataia deposit, located in the state of Ceará, Brazil, was milled in a pilot plant for wet-process phosphoric acid production. Further processing with solvent extraction (DEHPA/TOPO) was used aiming to recover uranium from the phosphoric acid. The distribution of natural radionuclides with long physical half-life of the ²³⁸U and ²³²Th decay series involved in these operations was evaluated. The radionuclides ²²⁶Ra, ²²⁸Ra and ²¹⁰Pb were found to predominate in the phosphogypsum, while ²²⁸Th, ²³⁰Th and ²³²Th in the uranium-free phosphoric acid.

Radiochimica Acta, Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag

Print ISSN: 0033-8230
Volume: 88, 09/2000
Pages: 809

Journal homepage (external site)

Show all available items of this journal

 

Area NEM