Journal Article

Research on conventional leaching process and leaching kinetics of a hard rock uranium mine

Guo, Jiacheng, Chen, Yuxin, Li, Haonan, Li, Junhan, Zhang, Zimin, Su, Xuebin, Hua, Rong

2023

Overview

To investigate the leaching rules and mechanism of a hard rock uranium ore, this paper conducted conventional leaching experiments based on the chemical composition and mineral occurrence status of the ore. Various factors affecting leaching were explored, and experimental data were fitted using the shrinking-core model. The results showed that uranium in the ore mainly existed in the form of pitchblende and coffinite, and the uranium grade of the sample was 0.15%. Under the leaching conditions of a temperature of 50 °C, a particle size of  − 100 mesh, an acid dosage of 32 kg t −1 , a pyrolusite dosage of 10 kg t −1 , a liquid–solid ratio of 1:1, and an 8 h duration, the leaching rate of the uranium ore reached 99.12%. The leaching process was controlled by solid film diffusion, and the apparent activation energy was 11.6 kJ mol −1 . Insoluble substances were present on the surface of the slag, and the solid film product was the main reason hindering leaching.

• Publisher: Springer International Publishing,Springer,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Activation energy / Analysis / Chemical composition / Chemistry / Chemistry and Materials Science / Diagnostic Radiology / Dosage / Efficiency / Energy consumption / Hadrons / Heavy Ions / Inorganic Chemistry / Kinetics / Leaching / Molybdenum / Nitrates / Nuclear Chemistry / Nuclear energy / Nuclear Physics / Particle size / Physical Chemistry / Pyrolusite / Shrinking core model / Sulfuric acid / Uranium / Uranium industry / Uranium ores / Water