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Uranium Fixation During Uranium Migration Under an Oxidizing Condition

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2011

Takashi Murakami,
Katsuyuki Tsuzuki,
Tsutomu Sato,
Hiroshi Isobe and
Toshihiko Ohnuki
Takashi Murakami
Affiliation:
Ehime University, Matsuyama, Ehime 790, Japan,
Katsuyuki Tsuzuki
Affiliation:
Ehime University, Matsuyama, Ehime 790, Japan,
Tsutomu Sato
Affiliation:
Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, Tokai, Ibaraki 319–11, Japan
Hiroshi Isobe
Affiliation:
Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, Tokai, Ibaraki 319–11, Japan
Toshihiko Ohnuki
Affiliation:
Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, Tokai, Ibaraki 319–11, Japan
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Abstract

A rock specimen, collected downstream of the Koongarra uranium ore deposit, Australia, was examined mainly by high resolution transmission electron microscopy in order to understand the uranium fixation mechanism. Uranium was found to exist as saleeite (Mg(UO2)2(PO4)2.10H2O) microcrystals of 1 – 20 nm scattered between iron minerals (mainly goethite and hematite) of 2 – 50 nm. The microtextural relationship between saléeite and the iron minerals revealed that the iron minerals function as catalyst for the formation of saléeite. The intermediate metamict microstructures of the saléeite microcrystals are consistent with the estimated formation age of saléeite, 1 to 3 × 106 years. Uranium has been, thus, fixed as saléeite downstream as well as in the secondary ore deposit. Saléeite in the secondary ore deposit showed completely periodic to fully metamict microstructures, suggesting that saléeite, a major uranium mineral in the secondary ore deposit, probably began to form a few million years ago and continued to form for the next million years.

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References

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