Aggregate technology for processing uranium-phosphorite ore

Abstract

The paper describes an aggregate technology for extraction of uranium and related rare earth elements, scandium and phosphorus from uranium-phosphorite ores with the recycling of spent reagents for the production of nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizers. It is shown that increasing the fraction of nitric acid in the mixture with sulfuric acid (melange) for leaching uranium to 100% increases the extraction of all valuable elements up to 95–98%. Optimal parameters (hydro module, duration and acidity) of the raw material processing have been determined. Reducing the content of sulfuric acid in melange to 15% reduces the yield of gypsum with the content of radionuclides of natural origin, which must be buried. The isolation of uranium, thorium, rare earth elements, scandium and radioactive isotopes (Ra, Po, Ac, Pb) is carried out by chemical precipitation using iron in the form of cast iron chips. As a result of processing, a nitrate-phosphate solution purified from radioactive elements and impurities is formed, based on which a complex nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizer "Nitrofos" is fabricated.

Reducing operational risks during suspensions separation in rare metals technology

“…The creation of the production of ion exchange resins in Ukraine made it possible to transfer the extraction of uranium from the filtration-precipitation scheme to the process of sorption from pulps and eliminate the filtration stage from the technology [7]. The suspension after uranium extraction is neutralized with lime milk to pH 7 and sent to the tailings pond, where the solid phase is precipitated and the liquid phase after settling is reused in the process.…”