Abstract: A method is disclosed for the manufacture of phosphoric acid directly from phosphate rock wherein the crushed phosphate rock is mixed with dilute phosphoric acid to form a slurry and the slurry is then heated to produce calcium monophosphate. Thereafter, oxalic acid is added to the slurry to precipitate the calcium therein as calcium oxalate which is separated. The liquid resulting therefrom which contains the phosphoric acid from the rock is then treated conventionally to recover the phosphoric acid therein.

Abstract: Carbon dioxide is admixed with water to form a carbonic acid solution for use as a leaching solution for extraction of uranium by solution mining. An oxidizing agent is also present in the solution.

Abstract: Salts or materials containing plutonium and americium are dissolved in hydrochloric acid, heated, and contacted with an alkali metal carbonate solution to precipitate plutonium and americium carbonates which are thereafter readily separable from the solution.

Abstract: An improved closed-loop process is described for treating waste water resulting from chemical extraction of uranium from ore. The water is evaporated to form a concentrated solution and is then subjected to crystallization of the least soluble salt component thereof via further evaporation, or cooling or simultaneous cooling and a partial vacuum. The crystallized component is then separated from the mother liquor, whereupon the latter is fed back after removal of residual uranium therefrom to the the extraction installation to replace the acids used therein. Additionally, the pure condensate produced during evaporation of the waste waters is employed as a replacement for the fresh water employed in processing of the ore.

Abstract: Uranium values are obtained from phosphate rock by acidifying phosphate rock containing uranium values and at least one other heavy metal with a mineral acid so as to obtain a crude acid, solvent extracting the crude acid with an organic solvent so as to separate a raffinate from a relatively pure, wet process phosphoric acid and treating said raffinate with a base so as to raise the pH to 1-2 whereby uranium hydroxide or phosphate and other heavy metal hydroxides or phosphates are coprecipitated. The uranium content of the coprecipitate after drying is at least as high as 0.3% which is comparable to that of uranium ores of the highest quality.

Abstract: A continuous process for extraction of niobium, rare earths and thorium from niobium ore concentrates which includes digesting the ore with a hot solution containing 13 to 16 moles of sulphuric acid per liter, diluting the solution to a concentration of 10 to 13 moles of sulphuric acid per liter, separating the insolubles from the solution which includes alkaline earth sulphates and the sulphates of thorium and rare earths that are present, reducing titanium in solution to the trivalent state and diluting the solution to a concentration of 5 to 7 moles of sulphuric acid per liter, separating the precipitated niobium oxide and sulphates of thorium and rare earths, and then concentrating the resulting solution to the level desired for recycle to the digestion stage.

Abstract: A method for recovering substantially all of the fluorine and uranium values and at least 90 percent of the rare earth metal values from brine raffinate obtained as by-product in the production of phosphoric acid by the hydrochloric acid decomposition of tricalcium phosphate minerals. A basically reacting compound is added to the brine raffinate to effect a pH of at least about 9, whereby fluorine, uranium and rare earth metal values are simultaneously precipitated therefrom. These values may then be separately recovered from the precipitate by known processes.

Abstract: Improved flocculation efficiency and filtration of carbonate leached uranium ore pulps are obtained by incorporating hydroxyalkyl guars in the filter feed slurry.

Abstract: a method of recovering uranium from wet-process phosphoric acid wherein the acid is treated with a mixture of an ammonium salt or ammonia, a metallic reducing agent such as iron, aluminum or zinc, and then a miscible solvent such as methanol. The precipitated solids, which are separated from the purified phosphoric acid, consist of a mixture of metal phosphates and uranium. This solid is dissolved in acid and the uranium recovered from the solution by liquid-liquid solvent extraction. The miscible solvent and some water are distilled away from the purified phosphoric acid. The distillate is rectified, the water discarded, and the miscible solvent recovered for recycle.When the miscible solvent is methanol, the optimum ranges of ammonia and methanol are 0.05 to 0.20 gram atom nitrogen per gram atom phosphorus and 1.93 to 3.15 pounds methanol per pound of orthophosphoric acid. The amount of reducing agent added should be sufficient to reduce all uraniun to U(IV).