Sorption-Leaching Unification of Uranium Ore Pulp Processing

Abstract

The results of studies of agitation leaching in combination with sorption leaching of uranium for different types of ores are reported. Sorption leaching reduces the consumption of sulfuric acid by 7–8% and reduces the processing time and makes it possible to obtain dump cakes with uranium content 0.005–0.007% and uranium concentration ≤5 mg/dm³ in the liquid phase of the discharge pulp, which corresponds to technological extraction of the uranium into anionite of at least 97%. The combined variant will make the fullest use of the capacity and potential of ion-exchange materials and permit unification of the enterprise’s process scheme.