Column Bioleaching Experiment of Low Grade Uranium Ore from Xiangshan Uranium Deposit

Abstract:

Xiangshan uranium deposit is the largest volcanic rock type uranium ore in China. Great number of low grade uranium ore (U < 0.03%) was stacked in the tailings dam as a waste rock in more than 50 years of exploitation, resulted in uranium resources waste. Two group column bioleaching experiments (column AB) were carried on in order to investigate uranium recovery effect by microbial for the low grade uranium ore. The bacteria for the tests was a mixture mainly composed by Acidithobacullus ferrooxidans and Leptospirrillum ferriphilum, which was isolated from the uranium minerals of Xiangshan uranium deposit and domesticated with the mineral and leachate system. The average uranium content is 0.0123%, the particle sizes for column A and B is less than 25mm The Fe²⁺, Fe³⁺ and F^- average contents of the test minerals were 1.90%, 0.59% and 0.14% respectively. Results showed that uranium leaching rate calculated by uranium concentration of slag were 76.75%, 75.31% in 95days and 85 days of test column A, B respectively. Rate of acid consumption of column test A, B were 7.60% and 7.69% respectively. while the rate of acid consumption was usually more than 10% by acid leaching. These evidences suggested that microbial hydrometallurgical technology was had effective for the low grade uranium ore and significant on uranium recovery for the low grade uranium ores.

• Periodical: Advanced Materials Research (Volume 825)
• Pages: 314-317
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.825.314
• Online since: October 2013
• Authors: Jin Hui Liu, Ya Jie Liu, Zhi Hong Zheng, Xue Gang Wang, Yi Peng Zhou, Zhan Xue Sun, Wei Jun Shi
• Keywords: Column Leaching, Low Grade Uranium Ore, Uranium Bioleaching, Uranium Recovery

References

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