Continuous Extraction of Uranium from Actual Uranium-Containing Liquid Wastes Using an “Emulsion Flow” Extractor

Abstract

  A newly developed liquid waste treatment system using an “emulsion flow” extractor has been applied to actual uranium-containing liquid wastes that originated from the decontamination of used gas centrifuges at Ningyo-toge Environmental Engineering Center of Japan Atomic Energy Agency. The emulsion flow extractor performs efficient liquid-liquid extraction by supplying solutions without additional stirring or shaking. The solvent used in this system is an isooctane solution containing TnOA and 1-octanol, which is effective in the selective extraction of uranium, without the formation of the third phase, from dilute sulfuric acid solutions containing a large amount of Fe. With the use of this system, 90% or more of uranium is extracted from actual and simulated decontamination liquid wastes under such mild emulsion flow conditions that fine drops of organic phases do not leak outside the apparatus.