Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

OCCURRENCE OF URANIUM IN PEGMATITE, IN RAJASTHAN, INDIA

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:4268259
The uraninite pegmatite is zoned and occurs at Bhunas in Rajasthan and is intrusive into the Aravalli schists of Archaean age. From its hanging wall contact with the mica schist inwards, ruby mica of commercial quality is prevailent. Further inwards and towards the footwall side of the mica working occurs a shear zone with a predominance of green mica of no commercial value. Microcline is the characteristic feldspar in the green mica zone. The uranium minerals in the green mica zone are cyrtolite and uraninite. They sometimes occur in large chunks weighing as much as 40 pounds. Smaller grains occur as disseminations in the matrix, and uraninite particularily as fine particles in between mica lamellae. The associated quartz is generally smoky and transilucent. Minor quantities of autunite and rarely metatorbernite appear as stains on other minerals. Petrological investigations and the study of autoradiographs revealed that uraninite occurs as minute stringers also within cyrtolite, uraninite can be separated by crushing the ore to minus 80 mesh. Chunks of uraninite and cyrtolite that can be easily handpicked, constitute roughly 1% of the run of the mine ore. It is fairly easy and reasonably economical to remove large lumps of barren quartz and feldspar and obtain a concentrate of an average 0.25% grade. Further concentration of the material to a grade containing 3% of U/sub 3/O/sub 8/ was effected by gravity separation at 85% recovery. Following the clue offered by this mineral association at Bhunas, pegmatites in the district are being re- examined and already several new occurrences have been brought to light where detailed investigations are now in progress. (auth)
Research Organization:
Dept. of Atomic Energy, India
NSA Number:
NSA-13-006643
OSTI ID:
4268259
Report Number(s):
A/CONF.15/P/1664
Country of Publication:
Country unknown/Code not available
Language:
English