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Selective Recovery of Uranium from El-Sebaiya Phosphate Rocks Using Urea

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Radiochemistry Aims and scope

Abstract

Urea CO(NH2)2 is an effective selective lixiviant for uranium from phosphate raw material. Experiments were performed to determine the factors of uranium dissolution from El-Sebaiya phosphate ore. Under the optimized conditions, uranium is extracted almost completely without significant changes in the chemical composition of the phosphate ore. From the latter, highly pure uranium-free phosphoric acid can be prepared. Analysis of the kinetic data using shrinking core models shows that the uranium leaching from El-Sebaiya phosphate ore with urea is a process controlled by chemical reaction.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nuclear Materials Authority, 11381, Cairo, Egypt

    H. A. Abu Khoziem, A. L. Abd El Fatah & M. Demerdash

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  1. H. A. Abu Khoziem
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  2. A. L. Abd El Fatah
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  3. M. Demerdash
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Correspondence to H. A. Abu Khoziem.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors are grateful to Prof. T.E. Amer and Prof. E.M. El-Sheikh, for suggestion of the idea of the study, faithful discussion, and critical reading of the manuscript.

CONFLICT OF INTERESTS

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Khoziem, H.A.A., Abd El Fatah, A.L. & Demerdash, M. Selective Recovery of Uranium from El-Sebaiya Phosphate Rocks Using Urea. Radiochemistry 62, 216–225 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1066362220020095

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