Abstract

An upgrading procedure for the uranium concentrate product of Gattar pilot plant via ammonium carbonate

Author(s): M.F.Cheira, R.A.Ghazala, K.F.Mahmoud

An impure crude uranium concentrate is produced at Gattar pilot plant in which the ore material is processed by acid heap leaching followed by ionexchange resin. Before proper refining of such a concentrate by the well developed solvent extraction techniques, it was found necessary to apply a prior upgrading procedure to diminish the associated impurities.Ammonium carbonate is used for this purpose and the two relevant factors that would minimize the latter are studied, namely the (NH4)2CO3 concentration and the required time for effective settling of the precipitated impurities.Accordingly, it has been possible to increase the uraniumassay in the working concentrate from about 36 up to 68% while that of Fe and V for example have been decreased from1.22 and 1.53%down to only 0.01and 0.029%respectively. In refining of the upgraded product by solvent extraction, such impurities and the other remaining elements would be easily decreased to the permissible limits.