Conversion of Uranium Metal to Uranyl Sulfate Solution

Experiments involving conversion of uranium (U) metal to U3O8, followed by dissolution to form uranyl sulfate solution, were performed with batches of up to 300 g of U metal. The focus was to identify major U species formed during the oxidation process, determine the particle size distribution of the uranium oxide product, and identify the size of the dissolution vessel needed to accommodate the exothermic reaction during the conversion of U3O8 to uranyl sulfate using 30% hydrogen peroxide and H2SO4. The information obtained in this study will be used for designing full-scale processes to convert kilogram quantities of U metal to uranyl sulfate solution with a concentration of 300 g U/L.