Uranyl sulfate

InChI=1S/H2O4S.2O.U/c1-5(2,3)4;;;/h(H2,1,2,3,4);;;/q;;;+2/p-2Key: XEZIPWHQHLVFHG-UHFFFAOYSA-L
monohdyrate:: InChI=1S/H2O4S.H2O.2O.U/c1-5(2,3)4;;;;/h(H2,1,2,3,4);1H2;;;/q;;;;+2/p-2Key: GSSXPGLZRCAGDP-UHFFFAOYSA-L
dihdyrate:: InChI=1S/H2O4S.2H2O.2O.U/c1-5(2,3)4;;;;;/h(H2,1,2,3,4);2*1H2;;;/q;;;;;+2/p-2Key: PJGZKVQRFYKDMB-UHFFFAOYSA-L
trihdyrate:: InChI=1S/H2O4S.3H2O.2O.U/c1-5(2,3)4;;;;;;/h(H2,1,2,3,4);3*1H2;;;/q;;;;2*-2;/p-2Key: SBCFBOOTSWECOA-UHFFFAOYSA-L
pentahydrate:: InChI=1S/H2O4S.5H2O.2O.U/c1-5(2,3)4;;;;;;;;/h(H2,1,2,3,4);5*1H2;;;/q;;;;;;;;+2/p-2Key: FJVCKQOAEFENSP-UHFFFAOYSA-L

SMILES

anhydrous:: S(=O)(=O).O==O
monohdyrate:: O.S(=O)(=O).O==O
dihdyrate:: O.O.S(=O)(=O).O==O
trihdyrate:: O.O.O...S(=O)(=O).
pentahydrate:: O.O.O.O.O.S(=O)(=O).O==O

Properties

UO₂SO₄

366.09 g/mol

3.28 g/cm @ 20 °C

27.5 g/100 mL in water at 25 °C

Related compounds

Other anions

Uranyl chloride
Uranyl nitrate
Uranyl carbonate

Related compounds

Uranium dioxide

Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C , 100 kPa).

Y verify (what is ?) Infobox references

Chemical compound

Uranyl sulfate describes a family of inorganic compounds with the formula UO₂SO₄(H₂O)_n. These salts consist of sulfate, the uranyl ion, and water. They are lemon-yellow solids. Uranyl sulfates are intermediates in some extraction methods used for uranium ores. These compounds can also take the form of an anhydrous salt.

Structure

The structure of UO₂(SO₄)(H₂O)_3.5 is illustrative of the uranyl sulfates. The trans-UO₂ centers are encased in a pentagonal bipyramidal coordination sphere. In the pentagonal plane are five oxygen ligands derived from sulfate and aquo ligands. The compound is a coordination polymer.

Uses

Aside from the large scale use in mining, uranyl sulfate finds some use as a negative stain in microscopy and tracer in biology. The Aqueous Homogeneous Reactor experiment, constructed in 1951, circulated a fuel composed of 565 grams of U-235 enriched to 14.7% in the form of uranyl sulfate.

The acid process of milling uranium ores involves precipitating uranyl sulfate from the pregnant leaching solution to produce the semi-refined product referred to as yellowcake.

Related compounds

the hydrogensulfate.
potassium uranyl sulfate, K₂UO₂(SO₄)₂, is a double salt used by Henri Becquerel in his discovery of radioactivity.

References

Peehs, Martin; Walter, Thomas; Walter, Sabine; Zemek, Martin (2007). "Uranium, Uranium Alloys, and Uranium Compounds". Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH. doi:10.1002/14356007.a27_281.pub2. ISBN 978-3527306732.
Zalkin, Allan; Ruben, Helena; Templeton, David H. (1978). "Structure of a New Uranyl Sulfate Hydrate α-2UO₂SO₄7H₂O". Inorganic Chemistry. 17 (12): 3701–3702. doi:10.1021/ic50190a075.
"Metallurgy". MQes Uranium Inc. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
Betke, Ulf; Wickleder, Mathias S. (2012). "Oleum and Sulfuric Acid as Reaction Media: The Actinide Examples UO2(S2O7)-lt (Low temperature), UO2(S2O7)-ht (High temperature), UO₂(HSO₄)₂, An(SO₄)₂ (An = Th, U), Th₄(HSO₄)₂(SO₄)₇ and Th(HSO₄)₂(SO₄)". European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry. 2012 (2): 306–317. doi:10.1002/ejic.201100975.