Abstract

Liquid Ã?Â?Ã?Â?Ã?Â?Ã?Â? liquid extraction of uranium from sulfate leach liquor of RamletHemeyir, ferruginous sandstone orematerial, Southwestern, Sinai, Egypt

Author(s): A.Abdelfattah, S.M.Mahmoud, H.M.Salman

The Ferruginous sandstone ore was obtained from Ramlet Hemeyir area, Southwestern Sinai, Egypt. It was found to contain 0.26 % U and 10 % REE (rare earth elements). A representative sample has been subjected to acid agitation leaching using H2SO4 by which 89% U and 93% REE were released by mixing the sample with concentrated H2SO4 at solid/ liquid (S/L) ratio of 1/2 for 5h at a temperature range (250 - 300oC). After precipitation of rare earth elements and lead. Uranium was separated from the filtrate by liquid – liquid extraction using a synergistic system of D2EHPA/TBP in kerosene as a diluent under the following conditions: a solvent concentration of 0.5 M at pH 1, anA/O ratio of 1:1 and a contact time 10 min. The loaded organic solvent was stripped with 10%sodiumcarbonate at ratio 3:1. Then NaOH was added to the stripped solution to precipitate U-cake at pH 12.0.