Process development studies for the recovery of uranium and sodium sulphate from a low-grade dolostone hosted stratabound type uranium ore deposit

Abstract

An innovative hydrometallurgical process flowsheet comprising of 'oxidative alkaline pressure leaching-counter-current filtration-direct precipitation-reagent regeneration cum recycle' was developed for effective recovery of the uranium values from a low-grade dolostone hosted stratabound type uranium ore deposit in Southern Cuddapah basin of India. Many challenges inherent in the ore like: lean-tenor (U 3 O 8 about 0?04%), absence of discrete uranium phases, distribution of majority of uranium values (about 90% by weight) as ultra-fine dissemination in carbonate matrix and presence of reactive sulphide minerals, were converted into opportunities leading to establishment of a process plant after elaborate laboratory and pilot-plant investigations. This paper discusses the results of the laboratory and pilot-plant investigations carried out for development of the process flowsheet.

Influence of Soil Chemical Composition on U, 226ra and 210pb Uptake in Leaves and Fruits of Quercus Ilex L

“…(Seidel, 1979). Ca was also lower in the uranium mine soils, indicating a loss at the beginning of the leaching process (Satybaldiyev et al, 2015), as well as in the subsequent H 2 SO 4 treatment of the by-products in the regeneration of the reagents (Na 2 CO 3 and NaHCO 3 or Glauber's salt and CaCO 3 ) (Suri et al, 2014). The higher percentages of Ti and Fe found in the uranium and copper mines are typical in these mining areas (Angileri et al, 2020;Liao et al, 2016) confirming their acid attack resistance in the leaching process, as in previous studies (Bowell et al, 2011).…”

Application of response surface method of optimization in flocculant assisted filtration of uranium bearing alkaline leach slurry of limestone origin

“…5, 7 The problems associated with filtration of slurries with very fine size solids has been addressed by addition of flocculants and dewatering surfactants and even carrying out the filtration at high temperature. 8–10 The first effective flocculants used in uranium milling operations were guargum products, 4 which were later followed using several commercial polyacrylamide, polyethylene oxide flocculants like Separan and Aerofloc. 11–13 Today a number of flocculants are available in commercial market (eg, https://www.cytec.com; http://www.kemira.com) claiming efficiency in ore processing industry including uranium.…”