Uranium Mineralogy and Flowsheet Development – A Comparison of Acid and Alkaline Leaching
By: Kylee Miller, Daryl Evans and Steve Hoban
Abstract:
The uranium industry has entered a new phase of development and renewed market interest has prompted the revival of major and particularly junior exploration, mining and metallurgical development focused on deriving efficient and cost effective production, particularly from lower grade resource.
The occurrence and association of Uranium imposes a very wide range of mineral types and so flowsheet design tends to be specific to each resource, a “cookie cutter” approach will not work in uranium process design. Economically viable extraction necessitates detailed study in the selection of acidic or alkaline leaching, in conjunction with an array of concentration methods. This paper discusses common uraniferous mineral types and compares the economics and challenges faced in acid and alkaline leach environments, presenting some broad guidelines for early selection of base case flowsheet and feasibility study development.
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