The selection of an extraction process for uranium recovery from milled ore leach solutions, in-situ leach solutions, mine waters and by-product streams is one which cannot be made without taking into account the effect of the extraction process on the remainder of the process and on the environment. The factors affecting the selection and the choice of solid ion exchange in recoveries from the whole range of process situations are discussed and it is concluded that both resins and equipment exist which satisfy most process needs. Further developments are however required if the full potential of resin ion exchange to influence uranium recovery flowsheets is to be realised. The usefulness and flexibility of solid ion exchange results from the ability of resins to recover uranium from solutions containing up to 30% suspended solids, thereby reducing post-leach capital cost, and their zero solubility which in some cases reduces both operating costs and contamination of the process stream and the environment. The correct choice of contactor and resin has required the development of techniques of resin evaluation and prediction of contactor performance. In addition, the rapid increase in uranium demand has required the development of reliable methods of process design based on the results from laboratory tests using small volumes of solution and these must often be sufficiently reliable to construct a full scale plant without the extensive pilot plant activity of the past. The successful techniques used have been based on R and D work at various centres of the technology and have proved to be important in assisting the industry to respond rapidly to market demands with extraction equipment designed to fit modern low cost flowsheet requirements.
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