COMURHEX process

The second route to uranium(IV) oxide eonsists of precipitation of ammonium diuranate from the solvent extraetion-purified aqueous uranyl nitrate solution by adding ammonia and then reducing it with hydrogen to uranium(lV) oxide (Comurhex process developed in France). 

Comurhex A process for making uranium dioxide by reducing ammonium di-uranate by heating it in hydrogen. Operated by the French company of that name. 

Variants of this basic process are used in other plants. For example, the Comurhex plant at Malvesi [B5] filters the output from the dissolver, uses pulse columns in the extracting section, and dilutes TBP with n-dodecane instead of n-hexane. 

---