Journal article
Substantiation of rational area of application of method of underground leaching of uranium from clay ores
- Navoi State Mining Institute, Navoi, Uzbekistan
Highlights
- Filtration coefficient of the clay layers: 10⁻³ to 5·10⁻⁴ m/day (continental and marine facies).
- Leaching of clay layers is limited by reagent delivery and transfer through a hydrate microlayer.
- Filtration anisotropy of the ores is used to choose the leaching scheme.
Keywords
- filtration coefficient
- uranium leaching
- productive strata
- clayiness
- diffusion
- uranium deposits
Summary
In-situ leaching of uranium from weakly permeable clay ore-bearing rocks is controlled mainly by two steps: delivery of the reagent to the surface of the ore minerals, and transfer of the dissolved uranium through a structured hydrate microlayer into the filtration flow.
The authors calculated how the degree of uranium extraction from clay layers of continental and marine facies, with filtration coefficients from 10⁻³ to 5·10⁻⁴ m/day, changes with the initial uranium content. Using average layer thicknesses and different leaching times, they defined where in-situ leaching can be applied for the conditions of a given deposit. Analysis of geological, hydrogeological and technological factors showed that the filtration anisotropy of the ores can be used to choose the best leaching scheme for ore bodies of complex structure. Above a certain uranium content, the clay layers are recommended for leaching in blocks after the ore has been broken and stockpiled.
How to cite
Sh. Sh. Alikulov and R. S. Salimov (2013). Substantiation of rational area of application of method of underground leaching of uranium from clay ores. Gornyi Zhurnal, 2013, No. 8-1, pp. 54–56. https://rudmet.com/journal/1217/article/20659/