Sciencemadness Discussion Board - Extracting uranium from fiestaware

Extracting uranium from fiestaware

Sir_Gawain - 4-4-2024 at 17:31

So I recently found this plate at the thrift store.

It isn’t Fiestaware brand, but it’s certainly the uranium glazed kind. It’s slightly hotter than my pair of radium watch hands. (My Geiger counter can only detect beta and gamma)

I’m thinking of trying to extract the uranium from it. To do this, I’m gonna have to grind it up which I don’t like.
Is this even a good idea?

Trashcanman - 4-4-2024 at 18:15

Quote: Originally posted by Sir_Gawain

So I recently found this plate at the thrift store.

It isn’t Fiestaware brand, but it’s certainly the uranium glazed kind. It’s slightly hotter than my pair of radium watch hands. (My Geiger counter can only detect beta and gamma)

I’m thinking of trying to extract the uranium from it. To do this, I’m gonna have to grind it up which I don’t like.
Is this even a good idea?

I don't think that this a good idea. Just buy some uranium ore and start from there.

Uranium Refinement

BTW: That "plate" looks to me like it was made for people to put down their pipes.
A pipe per corner of the plate. I am probably wrong but that was my first thought.

[Edited on 5-4-2024 by Trashcanman]

Sir_Gawain - 4-4-2024 at 20:41

Quote: Originally posted by Trashcanman

I don't think that this a good idea. Just buy some uranium ore and start from there.

Uranium Refinement

Yeah, I just did the math and the plate likely has an even lower uranium content than some low-grade ore I have. I estimate the ore to contain about 1-5% uranium; and while the glaze on the plate is about 15% uranium, the whole thing only has a thin layer of glaze. The biggest problem with extraction from the plate is that the glaze is vitrified and the acid is going to have a hard time dissolving it.

j_sum1 - 5-4-2024 at 01:05

If you were going to do it, my thoughts are that the simplest approach would be to put on a decent gas mask and grind off the glaze with an angle grinder. I would work outside and do the grinding inside a cardboard box to catch all the particles.

Edit
It is a butt-ugly piece of pottery so no real loss if it is destroyed

[Edited on 5-4-2024 by j_sum1]

Sulaiman - 5-4-2024 at 06:50

Looks like a 60's nut dish, Brazil, Hazel, Wallnuts etc.
With a nut-cracker in the middle.

Even if you wear a mask, dust will linger somewhere,
not worth the risk + effort I suggest.

Trashcanman - 5-4-2024 at 07:30

Quote: Originally posted by Sulaiman

Looks like a 60's nut dish, Brazil, Hazel, Wallnuts etc.
With a nut-cracker in the middle.

Even if you wear a mask, dust will linger somewhere,
not worth the risk + effort I suggest.

It is just uranium.
It is not like he has somehow acquired powdered plutonium.

He will probably unintentionally ingest small amounts of uranium but as long as he properly washes his hands there shouldn't be any problems.

Decontamination of hands

Fulmen - 5-4-2024 at 12:56

The OP might be in over his head here. While there is no reason for hysteria, uranium is nevertheless a toxic and radioactive heavy metal. This will demand proper precautions.
Fortunately it's simple to detect using a geiger.

Avoiding the dust phase would be preferable, what about digestion in molten sodium hydroxide? That's another high hazard material though...

Trashcanman - 5-4-2024 at 19:40

Quote: Originally posted by Fulmen

The OP might be in over his head here. While there is no reason for hysteria, uranium is nevertheless a toxic and radioactive heavy metal. This will demand proper precautions.
Fortunately it's simple to detect using a geiger.

Avoiding the dust phase would be preferable, what about digestion in molten sodium hydroxide? That's another high hazard material though...

Agreed but he has already dealt with radium and thereby I am certain that he will have no trouble with uranium xD

[Edited on 6-4-2024 by Trashcanman]

Sir_Gawain - 5-4-2024 at 19:58

Quote: Originally posted by Trashcanman

Agreed but he has already dealt with radium and thereby I am certain that he will have no trouble with uranium xD

Simply owning radium isn’t the same as grinding up uranium ore into fine dust and dissolving into solution. I think I’ll let the plate live, and try a carbonate leach on the ore I have.

Trashcanman - 6-4-2024 at 03:23

Quote: Originally posted by Sir_Gawain

Quote: Originally posted by Trashcanman

Agreed but he has already dealt with radium and thereby I am certain that he will have no trouble with uranium xD

Simply owning radium isn’t the same as grinding up uranium ore into fine dust and dissolving into solution. I think I’ll let the plate live, and try a carbonate leach on the ore I have.

I assumed you that you tried to seperate the radium from the paint for use in combination with beryllium as a neutron source.

Do you use the watch hands as a check source or do you simply like to collect radioactive material?

just a bit of trivia

Sulaiman - 6-4-2024 at 04:18

At one place I worked we repaired electronics for nuclear power stations,
one equipment type commonly repaired was radiation alarms,
The alarms should activate when ionising radiation levels are higher than a threshold, obvious,
the alarms should also sound if no ionising radiation is detected
because there is a thorium heating mantle stuffed into the probe.
(No ionisation detected means an instrument fault)

If you make an alarm for your lab,
a chip off the plate could perform a similar function.

PS same reason 20mA instruments don't use 0-20mA but use 4-20mA.

[Edited on 6-4-2024 by Sulaiman]

phlogiston - 6-4-2024 at 15:31

If you are going to powder this plate (or U ore for that matter), you should really try to be extremely hygienic and take measures to avoid any kind of contamination of your work place or house with U-containing dust.

Ingesting particles isnt good, but inhaling them is what you really should be careful to avoid. Particles of insoluble alpha-emitters stuck deep in your lungs is really bad. The alpha irradiation of the local tissue around them, isgnificantly increases the odds for lung cancer.

The angle grinder is going to be really messy and honestly doesn't sounds like a safe idea.
Maybe a ball mill would be better suited, because you can close it hermetically, do the grinding, and then allow the dust to settle down before opening it (gently). You can also wet the powder to prevent airborn dust down while handling the powder.

Rainwater - 6-4-2024 at 16:33

Given the fact that inhaling non-radioactive ceramic dust can cause incurable health problems, and this is an extraction of a toxic heavy metal
Why not use a hot sodium hydroxide bath?
It has a completely different way to hurt you, but no dust

Sir_Gawain - 6-4-2024 at 20:47

Do you mean a concentrated solution or molten sodium hydroxide?

j_sum1 - 6-4-2024 at 22:26

Quote: Originally posted by phlogiston

.

The angle grinder is going to be really messy and honestly doesn't sounds like a safe idea.

I did say gas mask rather than just a dust mask. I assumed that particulates could be managed. If you think that is not possible, then, yeah - dumb idea.

EF2000 - 7-4-2024 at 02:33

What about putting the plate into a sealed plastic bag (even better double plastic bag), breaking it with hammer to small pieces, and dissolving those pieces one by one in sodium hydroxide? This way avoiding both a cloud of radioactive dust and a need to handle large amounts of molten hydroxide.

Rainwater - 7-4-2024 at 10:40

Quote: Originally posted by Sir_Gawain

Do you mean a concentrated solution or molten sodium hydroxide?

This really depends on your comfort level. Molten NaOH will eat through the most stubborn rocks I process(FeO_x&AlO_x rich), Producing Sodium Silicate and a mixed oxide slurry very quickly. You may be able to use it to remove the glaze, and simplify the extraction. Your target is in a different group, Not group but, lower down on the ladder, than mine, so I expect the process to be different. For example, when processing tungsten materials (heating/incandescent wire, drill bits, hole saws etc). the easiest way for me to separate the W from the alloys is molten NaOH + KNO₃ in a graphite cursable, car u s able, black thingy hot dont melt thingy. the cooled solid salts are dissolved in water and filtered. the W is in the filtrate.
U being in the same group as W, I expect the process to be similar. This is based on absolutely no reading or experience with your target element.