Uranyl nitrate

Lemon yellow, yellow-green fluorescent solid

• 394.04 g.mol -1
• 502.13 g · mol -1 ( hexahydrate)

Fixed

2.81 g · cm -3

100 ° C ( decomposition)

Well in water (550 g · l-1 at 20 ° C)

Risk

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Uranyl nitrate (UO2 (NO3 ) 2) is a water soluble yellow uranium salt. It can be obtained by reaction of uranium salts with nitric acid. It dissolves very well in water, also in ethanol, acetone and ether, but not in benzene, toluene or chloroform. The yellow-green crystals of uranyl nitrate hexahydrate are tribolumineszent. At higher temperatures it decomposes to uranium trioxide ( UO3 ).

Use

Together with uranyl uranyl nitrate is used for negative staining in electron microscopes.

Reprocessing creates uranyl nitrate in dissolving the spent nuclear fuel ( mostly UO2 ) or yellowcake in nitric acid. It is then reacted in further steps to uranium hexafluoride which is used for separation of isotopes, and for the production of enriched uranium.

Safety

Uranyl nitrate is an oxidizing and highly toxic compound. There is also the risk of accumulation in the human body, which affects mainly the liver and kidneys. For aquatic organisms, it is also toxic and may cause long term adverse effects in the aquatic world. As all the uranium compounds it is radioactive. The activity is dependent upon the isotope composition of the uranium. In addition, uranyl nitrate is the effect of oxidizing and can lead when heated in contact with oxidizable substances explosions.