Yellowcake - Revision history

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energy>Jmdonev at 22:16, 30 July 2026

2026-07-30T22:16:51Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:16, 30 July 2026
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	[[File:Yellowcake.jpg\|400px\|thumb\|right\|Figure 1. A pile of yellowcake uranium powder, U<sub>3</sub>O<sub>8</sub>. Yellowcake is traditionally stored as a powder.<ref>Wikimedia Commons. (June 29, 2016). ''Yellowcake'' [Online]. Available: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yellowcake.jpg</ref>]]		[[File:Yellowcake.jpg\|400px\|thumb\|right\|Figure 1. A pile of yellowcake uranium powder, U<sub>3</sub>O<sub>8</sub>. Yellowcake is traditionally stored as a powder.<ref>Wikimedia Commons. (June 29, 2016). ''Yellowcake'' [Online]. Available: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yellowcake.jpg</ref>]]
			<onlyinclude>'''Yellowcake''' is uranium in powdered form. This uranium oxide has a chemical formula of U<sub>3</sub>O<sub>8</sub> and typically (but not always) looks like yellow cake mix.</onlyinclude> In the [[nuclear fuel cycle]], yellowcake is a product of the second step, occurring directly after mining and is created through milling. After the uranium is mined, the [[ore]] that is obtained has many different complex uranium oxides within it. The ore is therefore [[redox reaction\|reduced]] (milling process) to one specific oxide, U<sub>3</sub>O<sub>8</sub>, in order to be converted into [[uranium hexafluoride]], UF<sub>6</sub>, which is the third step in the nuclear fuel cycle.<ref name="r1">John R. Lamarsh, Anthony J. Baratta. (June 28, 2016). ''Introduction to Nuclear Engineering''. Third Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ, U.S.A:Prentice Hall, 2001.</ref>

	<onlyinclude>'''Yellowcake uranium''' the powdered typically yellow form of uranium oxide with the chemical formula U<sub>3</sub>O<sub>8</sub>.</onlyinclude> In the [[nuclear fuel cycle]], yellowcake is a product of the second step, occuring directly after mining and is created through milling. After the uranium is mined, the [[ore]] that is obtained has many different complex uranium oxides within it. The ore is therefore [[redox reaction\|reduced]] (milling process) to one specific oxide, U<sub>3</sub>O<sub>8</sub>, in order to be converted into [[uranium hexafluoride]], UF<sub>6</sub>, which is the third step in the nuclear fuel cycle.<ref name="r1">John R. Lamarsh, Anthony J. Baratta. (June 28, 2016). ''Introduction to Nuclear Engineering''. Third Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ, U.S.A:Prentice Hall, 2001.</ref>		Despite its name, yellowcake can vary in proportion and colour from yellow to orange to dark green (blackish) depending on the temperature at which the material is dried (this affects the level of hydration and impurities), with higher drying temperatures producing a darker and less soluble material.<ref name="r2">United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission. (June 29, 2016). ''Yellowcake'' [Online]. Available: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/basic-ref/glossary/yellowcake.html</ref>

	Despite its name, yellowcake can vary in proportion and ~~color~~ from yellow to orange to dark green (blackish) depending on the temperature at which the material is dried (this affects the level of hydration and impurities), with higher drying temperatures producing a darker and less soluble material.<ref name="r2">United States Nuclear Regulatory ~~Commision~~. (June 29, 2016). ''Yellowcake'' [Online]. Available: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/basic-ref/glossary/yellowcake.html</ref>

	==Milling Process==		==Milling Process==
	Older milling methods were done by mining the ore and then sending it through the mill where it was crushed and then ground in water which produced a slurry of fine ore particles suspended in the water.<ref name="r3">World Nuclear Association. (June 29, 2016). ''How uranium ore is made into nuclear fuel'' [Online]. Available: http://www.world-nuclear.org/nuclear-basics/how-is-uranium-ore-made-into-nuclear-fuel.aspx</ref> After which the slurry was leached with sulphuric acid in order to dissolve the uranium oxides. What was left was the remaining rock and other minerals which do not dissolve in the acid, these are the [[tailing]]s.<ref name="r3"/>		Older milling methods were done by mining the ore and then sending it through the mill where it was crushed and then ground in water which produced a slurry of fine ore particles suspended in the water.<ref name="r3">World Nuclear Association. (June 29, 2016). ''How uranium ore is made into nuclear fuel'' [Online]. Available: http://www.world-nuclear.org/nuclear-basics/how-is-uranium-ore-made-into-nuclear-fuel.aspx</ref> After which the slurry was leached with sulphuric acid in order to dissolve the uranium oxides. What was left was the remaining rock and other minerals which do not dissolve in the acid, these are the [[tailing]]s.<ref name="r3"/>

	However these methods are no longer commonly used, rather a method known as [[in situ]] leaching is utilized. This means that the mining is accomplished without any major ground disturbance. Groundwater with ~~a lot~~ of [[oxygen]] injected into it is circulated through the uranium ore, extracting the uranium. The [[solution]] with dissolved uranium is pumped to the surface.<ref name="r3"/>		However these methods are no longer commonly used, rather a method known as [[in situ]] leaching is utilized. This means that the mining is accomplished without any major ground disturbance. Groundwater with high amounts of [[oxygen]] injected into it, is circulated through the uranium ore, extracting the uranium. The [[solution]] with dissolved uranium is pumped to the surface.<ref name="r3"/>

	The conventional milling methods would create a yellowcake comprised mainly of U<sub>3</sub>O<sub>8</sub>, however the in situ methods currently being utilized create a yellowcake comprised mainly of uranyl peroxide dihydrate.<ref name="r2"/>		The conventional milling methods would create a yellowcake comprised mainly of U<sub>3</sub>O<sub>8</sub>, however the in situ methods currently being utilized create a yellowcake comprised mainly of uranyl peroxide dihydrate.<ref name="r2"/>
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	The uranium oxide is only mildly [[radioactive]]. The radiation level one metre from a drum of freshly-processed uranium oxide about half the radiation experienced from cosmic rays on a commercial jet flight.<ref name="r3"/> Because the yellowcake is just the separation of the uranium from the ore, it displays no more radiation than naturally occurring uranium. Due to natural uranium consisting of approximately 99.289% <sup>238</sup>U, which has a half-life of roughly 4 billion years, its radioactivity is very low. The shorter the half-life, the more radioactive a substance is and vice-versa.		The uranium oxide is only mildly [[radioactive]]. The radiation level one metre from a drum of freshly-processed uranium oxide about half the radiation experienced from cosmic rays on a commercial jet flight.<ref name="r3"/> Because the yellowcake is just the separation of the uranium from the ore, it displays no more radiation than naturally occurring uranium. Due to natural uranium consisting of approximately 99.289% <sup>238</sup>U, which has a half-life of roughly 4 billion years, its radioactivity is very low. The shorter the half-life, the more radioactive a substance is and vice-versa.

			== For Further Reading ==

			* [[In situ uranium mining]]
			* [[Nuclear fuel cycle]]
			* [[Uranium hexafluoride]]
			* [[Uranium mining]]
			* Or explore a [[Special:Random\|random page]]

	==References==		==References==
	{{reflist}}		{{reflist}}
			[[Category: Uploaded]]

Jmdonev: 1 revision imported

2017-08-29T01:46:48Z

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Jmdonev at 16:47, 28 July 2017

2017-07-28T16:47:50Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:47, 28 July 2017
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	[[Category:Done ~~2016~~-04-30]]		[[Category:Done 2017-07-01]]
	[[File:Yellowcake.jpg\|400px\|thumb\|right\|Figure 1. A pile of yellowcake uranium powder, U<sub>3</sub>O<sub>8</sub>. Yellowcake is traditionally stored as a powder.<ref>Wikimedia Commons. (June 29, 2016). ''Yellowcake'' [Online]. Available: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yellowcake.jpg</ref>]]		[[File:Yellowcake.jpg\|400px\|thumb\|right\|Figure 1. A pile of yellowcake uranium powder, U<sub>3</sub>O<sub>8</sub>. Yellowcake is traditionally stored as a powder.<ref>Wikimedia Commons. (June 29, 2016). ''Yellowcake'' [Online]. Available: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yellowcake.jpg</ref>]]

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	==Milling Process==		==Milling Process==
	Older milling methods were done by mining the ore and then sending it through the mill where it was crushed and then ground in water which produced a slurry of fine ore particles suspended in the water.<ref name="r3">World Nuclear Association. (June 29, 2016). ''How uranium ore is made into nuclear fuel'' [Online]. Available: http://www.world-nuclear.org/nuclear-basics/how-is-uranium-ore-made-into-nuclear-fuel.aspx</ref> After which the slurry was leached with sulphuric acid in order to dissolve the uranium oxides. What was left was the remaining rock and other minerals which do not dissolve in the acid, these are the [[~~tailings~~]].<ref name="r3"/>		Older milling methods were done by mining the ore and then sending it through the mill where it was crushed and then ground in water which produced a slurry of fine ore particles suspended in the water.<ref name="r3">World Nuclear Association. (June 29, 2016). ''How uranium ore is made into nuclear fuel'' [Online]. Available: http://www.world-nuclear.org/nuclear-basics/how-is-uranium-ore-made-into-nuclear-fuel.aspx</ref> After which the slurry was leached with sulphuric acid in order to dissolve the uranium oxides. What was left was the remaining rock and other minerals which do not dissolve in the acid, these are the [[tailing]]s.<ref name="r3"/>

	However these methods are no longer commonly used, rather a method known as [[in situ]] leaching is utilized. This means that the mining is accomplished without any major ground disturbance. Groundwater with a lot of [[oxygen]] injected into it is circulated through the uranium ore, extracting the uranium. The [[solution]] with dissolved uranium is pumped to the surface.<ref name="r3"/>		However these methods are no longer commonly used, rather a method known as [[in situ]] leaching is utilized. This means that the mining is accomplished without any major ground disturbance. Groundwater with a lot of [[oxygen]] injected into it is circulated through the uranium ore, extracting the uranium. The [[solution]] with dissolved uranium is pumped to the surface.<ref name="r3"/>

Jmdonev: 1 revision imported: From the summer

2016-09-17T22:29:38Z

1 revision imported: From the summer

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Jmdonev at 19:14, 4 August 2016

2016-08-04T19:14:17Z

New page

[[Category:Done 2016-04-30]]
[[File:Yellowcake.jpg|400px|thumb|right|Figure 1. A pile of yellowcake uranium powder, U3O8. Yellowcake is traditionally stored as a powder.<ref>Wikimedia Commons. (June 29, 2016). ''Yellowcake'' [Online]. Available: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yellowcake.jpg</ref>]]

<onlyinclude>'''Yellowcake uranium''' the powdered typically yellow form of uranium oxide with the chemical formula U3O8.</onlyinclude> In the [[nuclear fuel cycle]], yellowcake is a product of the second step, occuring directly after mining and is created through milling. After the uranium is mined, the [[ore]] that is obtained has many different complex uranium oxides within it. The ore is therefore [[redox reaction|reduced]] (milling process) to one specific oxide, U3O8, in order to be converted into [[uranium hexafluoride]], UF6, which is the third step in the nuclear fuel cycle.<ref name="r1">John R. Lamarsh, Anthony J. Baratta. (June 28, 2016). ''Introduction to Nuclear Engineering''. Third Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ, U.S.A:Prentice Hall, 2001.</ref>

Despite its name, yellowcake can vary in proportion and color from yellow to orange to dark green (blackish) depending on the temperature at which the material is dried (this affects the level of hydration and impurities), with higher drying temperatures producing a darker and less soluble material.<ref name="r2">United States Nuclear Regulatory Commision. (June 29, 2016). ''Yellowcake'' [Online]. Available: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/basic-ref/glossary/yellowcake.html</ref>

==Milling Process==
Older milling methods were done by mining the ore and then sending it through the mill where it was crushed and then ground in water which produced a slurry of fine ore particles suspended in the water.<ref name="r3">World Nuclear Association. (June 29, 2016). ''How uranium ore is made into nuclear fuel'' [Online]. Available: http://www.world-nuclear.org/nuclear-basics/how-is-uranium-ore-made-into-nuclear-fuel.aspx</ref> After which the slurry was leached with sulphuric acid in order to dissolve the uranium oxides. What was left was the remaining rock and other minerals which do not dissolve in the acid, these are the [[tailings]].<ref name="r3"/>

However these methods are no longer commonly used, rather a method known as [[in situ]] leaching is utilized. This means that the mining is accomplished without any major ground disturbance. Groundwater with a lot of [[oxygen]] injected into it is circulated through the uranium ore, extracting the uranium. The [[solution]] with dissolved uranium is pumped to the surface.<ref name="r3"/>

The conventional milling methods would create a yellowcake comprised mainly of U3O8, however the in situ methods currently being utilized create a yellowcake comprised mainly of uranyl peroxide dihydrate.<ref name="r2"/>

==Radioactivity==
The uranium oxide is only mildly [[radioactive]]. The radiation level one metre from a drum of freshly-processed uranium oxide about half the radiation experienced from cosmic rays on a commercial jet flight.<ref name="r3"/> Because the yellowcake is just the separation of the uranium from the ore, it displays no more radiation than naturally occurring uranium. Due to natural uranium consisting of approximately 99.289% 238U, which has a half-life of roughly 4 billion years, its radioactivity is very low. The shorter the half-life, the more radioactive a substance is and vice-versa.

==References==
{{reflist}}