Pemisahan Torium dan Uranium dari Pasir Monazit Pulau Bangka dengan Metode Destruksi dan Pengendapan

Abstract

Thorium and uranium can be separated from monazite sand by destruction and precipitation method. Destruction was carried out using NaOH by wet and dry destruction method. Solids as the destruction result were diluted in concentrated HCl, followed by precipitation using NH4OH at pH 4 and 7. The precipitates were characterized by x-ray fluorescence. Thorium and uranium content from dry destruction were 2.40% and 0.137%, while those from wet destruction were 3.52% and 0.161%, respectively. Thorium and uranium from wet destruction had higher solubility than those from dry destruction method. By wet destruction methods the precipitates could not be obtained at pH 4, while at pH 7 the precipitates showed higher thorium content but lower uranium content than those by dry destruction. Based on thorium and uranium contents, the two methods did not give satification as separation output.