Studies on the selectivity of cetrimide for uranium extraction from wet process phosphoric acid

•Extraction process for uranium from phosphoric acid has been applied using cetrimide.•The relevant factors of both extraction and stripping have been optimized.•The kinetic data were found to be satisfactorily fitting to the pseudo first order.•The ΔH of the uranium extraction is − 19 kJ/mol indicating its exothermic nature.

Cetrimide was proven to be an effective selective extractant for uranium from phosphoric acid solutions of comparable concentration to the wet process phosphoric acid (WPPA). Several experiments have thus been performed to determine the relevant factors of both uranium extraction and stripping using synthetic phosphoric acid of comparable P2O5 and U concentration to the commercial acid. The obtained optimum conditions have successfully been applied upon the phosphoric acid produced by Abu Zaabal Fertilizers and Chemicals Co. From the stripped liquor using 1 M HCl, the stripped uranium from the latter acid was precipitated as ammonium diuranate which was confirmed by XRD analysis. The kinetic model of uranium extraction by cetrimide extractant from phosphoric acid was also studied. The data on the effect of temperature on uranium extraction by cetrimide showed that the enthalpy change is − 19 kJ/mol indicating its exothermic nature.

Graphical abstractAbu Zaabal wet process phosphoric acid 30% P2O5 and 70 ppm U.Generalized flow sheet for uranium recovery from Abu Zaabal wet process phosphoric acid using cetrimide.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide