Uranium And Atomic Power - Pasta blanda

URANIUM j and ATOMIC POWER A COMPREHENSIVE PRACTICAL AND THEORETICAL EXPOSITION OF THE URANIUM MINERALS, BASED ON THE CHEMISTRY OF URANIUM, AND INCLUDING THE POSSIBILITIES OF ATOMIC POWER By JACK DjE MENT Research Chemist, The Mineralogist Laboratories Co-author, Fluorescent Light and Its Applications and H. C. DAKE Editor, The Mineralogist Magazine. Co-author, Fluorescent Light and Its Applications, etc. 1941 CHEMICAL PUBLISHING CO., INC. BROOKLYN, N. Y. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE PREFACE v 1 ATOMIC POWER 1 Structure of Atom Atomic Power Possibilities 2 THE URANIUM MINERALS 23 Pitchblende Carnotite The Uranium Minerals 3 PROSPECTING FOR URANIUM MINERALS 43 4 THE PHYSICS OF URANIUM 49 Nature of Uranium Atom Atomic Weight of Ura nium Isotopes of Uranium Radioactivity Trans uranic Elements Crystallinity Spectral Character istics Fluorescence Uranium as an Activator Colloidal State Solubility Biophysical Aspects 5 CHEMISTRY OF URANIUM 103 Nuclear Fission Metallic Uranium Valency Re activity Halides Oxides Carbonates Phos phates Sulfates Other Elements Ammino De rivatives Organic Compounds Extraction from Ores Photochemical Uranium Poisoning 6 SPECIFIC METHODS IN URANOMETRY 176 Introduction Solution Characteristic Reactions Interfering Elements Gravimetry Bureau Mines Method Volumetry Electrolytic Colorimetry and Nephelometry X-ray Spectrography Electro scope Spot Tests Bead Tests Microchemical Fluorescence Fluor o photometry Radio graphic Spectrochemical Microspectroscopy Amines Microscopic Polarographic Chromatographic 1C88967 JAN 2 5 1943 IV CONTENTS V V CHAPTER PAGE 7 SPECIAL METHODS IN URANOMETRY 275 Fluorescent Indicators Blowpipe BIBLIOGRAPHY 297 APPENDIX I 317 APPENDIX II 319 APPENDIXIII 322 APPENDIX IV 323 APPENDIX V 327 APPENDIX VI 329 SUBJECT INDEX 333 PREFACE - EVER since its discovery uranium has been associated with the great events in science. Uranium has been the water boy for the spectacular plays in chemistry and physics. For some years the element was forced into comparative ob scurity by the acclaim for radium and X-rays. But now uranium has come into its own. With the recent develop ments in nuclear fission the future of uranium has been ac corded an extremely bright outlook. Uranium is now on a road which may eventually be sur passed by few elements in terms of service to humanity. At present uranium 235 holds the greatest possibilities as a future source of atomic power. The separation of uranium 235 from the other isotopes is already a laboratory fact, but much remains to be done to develop this fact into commer cial realization. Many physicists believe that atomic power may be obtained from uranium in the near future. Others hold to the premise that such an accomplishment is still in the distant future or may never come to pass. It is the opin ion of the present writers that the gravity of evidence now at hand should favor an optimistic outlook. We have endeavored to discuss the subject of uranium mainly from a chemical standpoint. - If we are vague on some phases of presentation, or if the information appears to be scant, we ask you not to excuse this. To ask you to overlook scantiness of knowledge in portions of - our work would imply that we believe the study of uranium and its minerals is mature. We believe that the study of uranium minerals is more on the order of an adolescent who requires the directive efforts of those more experienced. Inour treatment of the chemistry of uranium we have endeavored to present unusual facts pertinent to our subject. The procedures for estimation and detection of uranium are VI URANIUM AND ATOMIC POWER described in several following chapters. Here, additions may be made to the field by completeness of scope, as well as by presentation of some of the original studies of the present writers...