ELECTROCHEMICAL PREPARATION OF HIGH-PURITY URANIUM AND NEPTUNIUM METALS FROM AQUEOUS-SOLUTIONS

Uranium and neptunium metals were successfully produced by the thermal decomposition of electrochemically prepared amalgams from the aqueous solutions. The amalgamation rate of uranium was approximately regarde d as a first-order chemical reaction and the amalgam was heated at 125 0 degrees C in vacuum. The purity of uranium metals were estimated to be about 4 N by gaseous and metallic impurity analysis. The decomposit ion temperature of neptunium amalgams was decided by the analysis of m ercury in the lanthanum and cerium metals prepared by the above method . The neptunium amalgams were synthesized from acetate buffer solution s and bright metallic buttons of neptunium metals were obtained. As a result of this study, the proposed method is shown to be much easier a nd simpler than conventional ones. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A.