Abstract
The variations of concentration with time of several metal ions dissolved in fused potassium thiocyanate at 190°C were investigated.
It was found that the concentration of cadmium, lead, or neodymium ion except uranyl ion did not vary with time in this fused solvent for more than ten hours.
In the case of molten salt solution, uranyl ion separated after a few hours as a black precipitate resulting from the chemical reaction with the fused salt solvent. The concentration of uranyl ion therefore decreased with time, while that of the other metal ions mentioned above remained constant.
The chemical analyses of the black precipitate showed that it contained 76.8% of uranium and 10.6% of sulfur, the values being in good agreement with the composition of uranyl sulfide.
The contents of the several metal ions in the black precipitate obtained by heating for a long time at 190°C the molten salt solution containing both the above metal ions and uranvl ion were: Cd 1.86%, Pb 4.36%, Ce 6.97%, and Nd 8.47%.
It is supposed that these were caused by their coprecipitation with uranyl ion.
