Uranyl ammonium carbonate precipitation and conversion into triuranium octaoxide.

Uranyl ammonium carbonate (AUC), with the chemical formula UOCO·2(NH)CO, plays a crucial role in the wet conversion of uranium hexafluoride (UF) into uranium dioxide (UO) or triuranium octaoxide (UO) for nuclear fuel production, and is used in commercial and research reactors. In this study, the precipitation of AUC from uranyl fluoride (UOF) solution and its subsequent conversion into UO powder were investigated. AUC precipitation was performed at uranium concentrations in UOF solution of 80-120 gL, ammonium carbonate (NH)CO concentrations of 200-400 gL, and (NH)CO to U (C/U) ratios of 5-9.