Yellowcake
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Yellowcake, also known as urania, is a type of powdered uranium concentrate obtained from leach solutions, representing an intermediate step in the processing of uranium ores. This material is produced after uranium mining but before either fuel fabrication or uranium enrichment. Yellowcake concentrates are created through various extraction and refining methods that vary depending on the ore types. The production involves milling and chemical processing of uranium ore, resulting in a coarse powder that is insoluble in water and has a pungent odor. Yellowcake typically contains about 80% uranium oxide and melts at approximately 2880 °C.
Yellowcake, also known as urania, is a type of powdered uranium concentrate obtained from leach solutions, representing an intermediate step in the processing of uranium ores. This material is produced after uranium mining but before either fuel fabrication or uranium enrichment. Yellowcake concentrates are created through various extraction and refining methods that vary depending on the ore types. The production involves milling and chemical processing of uranium ore, resulting in a coarse powder that is insoluble in water and has a pungent odor. Yellowcake typically contains about 80% uranium oxide and melts at approximately 2880 °C.
Production process
Traditional uranium mining involves extracting raw uranium ore through conventional methods, which remains common practice at many sites. The production process begins with crushing the ore to a fine powder using crushers and grinders to create "pulped" ore. This material then undergoes treatment with concentrated acid, alkaline, or peroxide solutions to leach out the uranium. In modern operations, approximately half of yellowcake production utilizes in situ leaching, where solutions are pumped directly through uranium deposits without physical excavation. The resulting solution is then dried and filtered to produce yellowcake. Despite its name, modern yellowcake is typically brown or black rather than yellow; the term originates from the color and texture of concentrates from early mining operations. (U 3 O 8 ) production, 1950–2021]]
Composition
Early yellowcake compositions were not well characterized. As late as 1968, the U.S. Bureau of Mines defined yellowcake simply as "certain uranium concentrates ... the final precipitate from the milling process", considered to be ammonium diuranate or sodium diuranate. The actual composition varies significantly based on leaching agents and precipitation conditions. Identified compounds in yellowcake include uranyl hydroxide, uranyl sulfate, sodium para-uranate, and uranyl peroxide, along with various uranium oxides. Yellowcake production occurs in all countries where uranium ore is mined.
See also
Uranium mining Uraninite – an ore primarily composed of uranium dioxide (UO 2 ) Niger uranium forgeries – fraudulent documents alleging Iraqi yellowcake purchases Sequoyah Fuels Corporation – U.S. yellowcake processor COMINAK – Nigerien uranium producer SOMAIR – Nigerien uranium producer Vanadium(V) oxide – whose hydrous precipitates are called "redcake"
References
Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1371256038 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.