Uranyl carbonate refers to the

inorganic compound An inorganic compound is typically a chemical compound that lacks carbon–hydrogen bonds⁠that is, a compound that is not an organic compound. The study of inorganic compounds is a subfield of chemistry known as ''inorganic chemistry''. Inorgan ...

with the formula UO₂CO₃. Also known by its mineral name

rutherfordine Rutherfordine is a mineral containing almost pure uranyl carbonate ( U O2 CO3). It crystallizes in the orthorhombic system in translucent lathlike, elongated, commonly radiating in fibrous, and in pulverulent, earthy to very fine-grained dense ...

, this material consists of uranyl (UO₂²⁺) and carbonate (CO₃^2-). Like most uranyl salts, the compound is a polymeric, each uranium(VI) center being bonded to eight O atoms. Hydrolysis products of rutherfordine are also found in both the mineral and organic fractions of

coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other Chemical element, elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal i ...

and its

fly ash Coal combustion products (CCPs), also called coal combustion wastes (CCWs) or coal combustion residuals (CCRs), are byproducts of burning coal. They are categorized in four groups, each based on physical and chemical forms derived from coal combust ...

and is the main component of uranium in mine tailing seepage water. __TOC__

Uranyl carbonates as a class of materials

Many uranyl carbonates exist, rutherfordine being the simplest stoichiometry. Most uranyl carbonates additional components including water and diverse anions and cations. A common method for concentrating uranium from a solution uses solutions of uranyl carbonates, which are passed through a resin bed where the complex ions are transferred to the resin by

ion exchange Ion exchange is a reversible interchange of one species of ion present in an insoluble solid with another of like charge present in a solution surrounding the solid. Ion exchange is used in softening or demineralizing of water, purification of ch ...

with a negative ion like chloride. After build-up of the uranium complex on the resin, the uranium is eluted with a salt solution and the uranium is

precipitate In an aqueous solution, precipitation is the "sedimentation of a solid material (a precipitate) from a liquid solution". The solid formed is called the precipitate. In case of an inorganic chemical reaction leading to precipitation, the chemic ...

d in another process.

Uranyl carbonate minerals

Uranyl carbonates include: *

Andersonite Andersonite, Na2Ca(UO2)(CO3)3·6H2O, or hydrated sodium calcium uranyl carbonate is a rare uranium carbonate mineral that was first described in 1948. Named after Charles Alfred Anderson (1902–1990) of the United States Geological Survey, who f ...

(hydrated sodium calcium uranyl carbonate) * Astrocyanite-(Ce) (hydrated copper cerium neodymium lanthanum praseodymium samarium calcium yttrium uranyl carbonate hydroxide) * Bayleyite (hydrated magnesium uranyl carbonate) *

Bijvoetite-(Y) Bijvoetite-(Y) is a very rare rare-earth element, rare-earth and uranium mineralDeliens, M., and Piret, P., 1982. Bijvoetite et lepersonnite, carbonates hydrates d'uranyle et des terres rares de Shinkolobwe, Zaïre. Canadian Mineralogist 20, 231-2 ...

(hydrated yttrium dysprosium uranyl carbonate hydroxide) * Fontanite (hydrated calcium uranyl carbonate) * Grimselite (hydrated potassium sodium uranyl carbonate) * Joliotite (hydrated uranyl carbonate) * Liebigite (hydrated calcium uranyl carbonate) * Mckelveyite-(Y) (hydrated barium sodium calcium uranium yttrium carbonate) * Metazellerite (hydrated calcium uranyl carbonate) * Rabbittite (hydrated calcium magnesium uranyl carbonate hydroxide) * Roubaultite (copper uranyl carbonate oxide hydroxide) *

Rutherfordine Rutherfordine is a mineral containing almost pure uranyl carbonate ( U O2 CO3). It crystallizes in the orthorhombic system in translucent lathlike, elongated, commonly radiating in fibrous, and in pulverulent, earthy to very fine-grained dense ...

(uranyl carbonate) * Schröckingerite (hydrated sodium calcium uranyl sulfate carbonate fluoride) * Shabaite (hydrated copper cerium neodymium lanthanum praseodymium samarium calcium yttrium uranyl carbonate hydroxide) * Sharpite (hydrated calcium uranyl carbonate hydroxide) * Swartzite (hydrated calcium magnesium uranyl carbonate) * Voglite (hydrated calcium copper uranyl carbonate) *

Wyartite Wyartite ·7H2O is a uranium bearing mineral named after Jean Wyart (1902–1992), mineralogist at the Sorbonne, Paris. It has greenish-black, black, or violet-black, translucent to opaque orthorhombic crystals. It has a hardness of 3 to 4 on t ...

(hydrated calcium uranyl carbonate hydroxide) * Widenmannite (lead uranyl carbonate) * Zellerite (hydrated calcium uranyl carbonate) * Znucalite (hydrated calcium zinc uranyl carbonate hydroxide)

References

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Uranium carbonate Uranyl compounds Carbonates Nuclear materials