Method for preparation of spherical uo

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF PREPARING URANIUM PEROXIDE IN THE FORM OF SPHERICAL PARTICLES WHICH COMPRISES CONTINUOUSLY INTRODUCING AN AQUEOUS URANYL NITRATE SOLUTION HAVING A PH OF 2.5 TO 3.1 AND A NITRIC ACID-CONTAINING AQUEOUS HYDROGEN PEROXIDE SOLUTION INTO A FIRST REACTION ZONE AT A RELATIVE PROPORTION SUCH THAT THE AMOUNT OF HYDROGEN PEROXIDE IS WITHIN THE RANGE OF APPROXIMATELY 5 TO 20 PERCENT OF THE STOICHIOMETRIC AMOUNT REQUIRED FOR COMPLETE REACTION WITH THE URANYL ION IN SAID URANYL NITRATE SOLUTION AND A RATE SUCH THAT THE MEAN RESIDENCE TIME OF THE RESULTING MIXTURE IN SAID FIRST REACTION ZONE IS WITHIN THE RANGE OF APPROXIMATELY 2 TO 5 MINUTES, MAINTAINING SAID FIRST REACTION ZONE AT A TEMPERATURE OF 85*C. TO 95*C., CONTINUOUSLY REMOVING THE RESULTING SEED-CONTAINING SOLUTION FROM SAID FIRST REACTION ZONE, CONTINUOUSLY CONTACTING SAID SEED-CONTAINING SOLUTION WITH FURTHER AMOUNTS OF NITRIC ACID-CONTAINING HYDROGEN PEROXIDE SOLUTION IN A SECOND REACTION ZONE AT A RELATIVE PROPORTION SUCH THAT THE RESULTING RATIO OF HYDROGEN PEROXIDE TO URANIUM IS AT LEAST 7 TO 1 AND THE RESULTING RATIO OF NITRIC ACID TO URANIUM IS WITHIN THE RANGE OF APPROXIMATELY 1.0 TO 1 TO 1.5 TO 1, SAID SECOND REACTION ZONE BEING MAINTAINED AT A TEMPERATURE ABOVE 50*C., CONTINUOUSLY REMOVING THE RESULTING PRECIPITATE-CONTAINING SLURRY FROM SAID SECOND REACTION ZONE, THE VOLUME OF SAID SECOND REACTION ZONE AND THE FLOW RATE OF SAID SLURY BEING ADJUSTED TO PROVIDE AN OVERALL MEANS RESIDENCE TIME OF SAID RESULTING MIXTURE IN SAID ZONES WITHIN THE RANGE OF 5 TO 11 MINUTES, AND RAPIDLY SEPARATING THE RESULTING SPHERICAL PARTICLES FROM THE REMAINING MOTHER LIQUOR, EACH OF SAID ZONES BEING MAINTAINED IN A STATE OF VIGOROUS AGITATION.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF PREPARING URANIUM PEROXIDE IN THE FORM OF SPHERICAL PARTICLES WHICH COMPRISES CONTINUOUSLY INTRODUCING AN AQUEOUS URANYL NITRATE SOLUTION HAVING A PH OF 2.5 TO 3.1 AND A NITRIC ACID-CONTAINING AQUEOUS HYDROGEN PEROXIDE SOLUTION INTO A FIRST REACTION ZONE AT A RELATIVE PROPORTION SUCH THAT THE AMOUNT OF HYDROGEN PEROXIDE IS WITHIN THE RANGE OF APPROXIMATELY 5 TO 20 PERCENT OF THE STOICHIOMETRIC AMOUNT REQUIRED FOR COMPLETE REACTION WITH THE URANYL ION IN SAID URANYL NITRATE SOLUTION AND A RATE SUCH THAT THE MEAN RESIDENCE TIME OF THE RESULTING MIXTURE IN SAID FIRST REACTION ZONE IS WITHIN THE RANGE OF APPROXIMATELY 2 TO 5 MINUTES, MAINTAINING SAID FIRST REACTION ZONE AT A TEMPERATURE OF 85*C. TO 95*C., CONTINUOUSLY REMOVING THE RESULTING SEED-CONTAINING SOLUTION FROM SAID FIRST REACTION ZONE, CONTINUOUSLY CONTACTING SAID SEED-CONTAINING SOLUTION WITH FURTHER AMOUNTS OF NITRIC ACID-CONTAINING HYDROGEN PEROXIDE SOLUTION IN A SECOND REACTION ZONE AT A RELATIVE PROPORTION SUCH THAT THE RESULTING RATIO OF HYDROGEN PEROXIDE TO URANIUM IS AT LEAST 7 TO 1 AND THE RESULTING RATIO OF NITRIC ACID TO URANIUM IS WITHIN THE RANGE OF APPROXIMATELY 1.0 TO 1 TO 1.5 TO 1, SAID SECOND REACTION ZONE BEING MAINTAINED AT A TEMPERATURE ABOVE 50*C., CONTINUOUSLY REMOVING THE RESULTING PRECIPITATE-CONTAINING SLURRY FROM SAID SECOND REACTION ZONE, THE VOLUME OF SAID SECOND REACTION ZONE AND THE FLOW RATE OF SAID SLURY BEING ADJUSTED TO PROVIDE AN OVERALL MEANS RESIDENCE TIME OF SAID RESULTING MIXTURE IN SAID ZONES WITHIN THE RANGE OF 5 TO 11 MINUTES, AND RAPIDLY SEPARATING THE RESULTING SPHERICAL PARTICLES FROM THE REMAINING MOTHER LIQUOR, EACH OF SAID ZONES BEING MAINTAINED IN A STATE OF VIGOROUS AGITATION.