New Aspects of Uranium Ore Concentration by using Acidic Media Solutions

Abstract

The present investigation aims to compare the leaching characteristics of uranium isotopes in acidic and alkaline dissolving solutions with different concentrations. The leachate of uranium is prepared from sedimentary rocks collected from SW Sinai, Egypt. The uranium isotope activity concentration was measured using gamma counting recorded by the HPGe detector. Additionally, activity ratios as well as the leaching efficiency of different uranium isotopes were calculated. Results have shown that sulfuric acid at 40 % has been able to outpace other concentrations in dissolving a higher ratio of uranium isotopes with a 1 : 4 solid to acid ratio and 2 days as soaking time.234Th contributes to the 234U activity causes a significant efficiency difference as opposed to 235U & 238U in prepared bearing solutions. The recorded pH values in a bearing solution of different samples at investigated leaching conditions were oscillated from −1.2 to 4 due to lead impurities diffusion to bearing solutions.