IN SITU LEACHING OF URANIUM USING DILUTE SULFURIC ACID AND MOLECULAR OXYGEN |
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Authors: | TY Yan |
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Affiliation: |
a Mobil Research & Development Corporation Central Research Division, Princeton |
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Abstract: | The technical feasibility of in situ uranium leaching using dilute sulfuric acid and molecular oxygen has been assessed and the important process parameters examined by use of laboratory high pressure leaching columns.
The dilute H2SO4/O2 lixiviant was effective in leaching uranium from the ore samples tested. The leaching process was chemical reaction rate limited and can be represented using pseudo first-order kinetics. The leaching rate constant is proportional to the proton concentration of the lixiviant.
Much of the uranium was leached from the ore before decomposition of carbonate minerals by the acid was complete. Acid consumption per pound of U3O8 increased sharply as the uranium recovery level exceeded 70%. There appears to be a minimum oxygen pressure for effective uranium leaching. A pressure of 2758 KPa was adequate for the ore samples tested |
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Keywords: | In situ leaching Uranium leaching Leaching with acid and oxygen |
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