Process of extracting both uranium and radium from uranium-containing ores

Patent · Tue Jun 12 04:00:00 EDT 1984

OSTI ID:6159022

Nirdosh, I; Baird, M H; Banerjee, S; Muthuswami, S V

Ferric chloride leaching at temperatures in the range 47-74/sup 0/C. is found to remove up to 97% of the uranium from ores occurring in the Elliot Lake area of Canada, but radium removal was found to be poor due to the formation of sulphates from the sulphides present in the ore. In processes of the invention the sulphides are initially removed by flotation, when aqueous acidic ferric chloride of relatively low concentration, e.g., 0.1 M can extract as much as 92% of the radium, giving tailings which are effectively sulphide-free and with radium levels approaching a desired maximum of 24 pCi/g. Radium may be removed by adsorption on manganese dioxide and uranium may be removed by liquid extraction with D2EHPA (DAPEX process). The ferric chloride may be recirculated for further leaching, with reduction before the uranium extraction and reoxidation afterwards. Because of the recycle, it is possible to keep chloride ion levels in the effluent below the prescribed level in Ontario, Canada of 750 ppm.

• Assignee: EDB-85-010964
• Patent Number(s): US 4454097
• OSTI ID: 6159022
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050400* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Feed Processing
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
ACTINIDES
ADSORPTION
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
DESULFURIZATION
DISSOLUTION
ELEMENTS
ENRICHMENT
EXTRACTION
FLOTATION
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
IRON CHLORIDES
IRON COMPOUNDS
LEACHING
METALS
ORE ENRICHMENT
ORE PROCESSING
ORES
PROCESSING
RADIUM
RECOVERY
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
SORPTION
SORPTIVE PROPERTIES
SURFACE PROPERTIES
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
URANIUM
URANIUM ORES