Uranium Ore Processing Plant
Zenith Minerals: uranium ore processing capabilities
Zenith Minerals is the leading process development facility in Australia with significant expertise in the leaching and processing of uranium ores. The group has carried out studies for Australias main operating sites including Mary Kathleen Uranium, Nabarlek, Olympic Dam, Ranger and the Beverley Mine. It has also undertaken development work on many other deposits, including Koongarra, Jabiluka, Valhalla, Yeelirrie, Westmoreland, Lake Way, Kintyre, Honeymoon, Four Mile, Crocker Well, Mulga Rock and Bigryli.
Projects range from optimization of processing conditions, to managing the environmental impact of uranium processing and Zenith Minerals capabilities in the field of uranium processing plant include laboratory and pilot plant studies of the following specific processes:
- Optimisation of acid and alkaline leaching conditions
- Investigation of the use of alternative oxidants (SO2/O2 , Caro’s acid, H2O2) and development of processes to reduce oxidant requirements
- Laboratory and column studies to assess the amenability of a wide range of ores to heap and vat leaching techniques.
- Determination of factors controlling the dissolution of silica in leaching and the importance of silica morphology on the performance of uranium solvent extraction circuits.
- Operation of a continuous resin-in-pulp adsorption and mini-plant for recovery of uranium.
- Recovery and precipitation of uranium from a range of SX strip liquors (NH4SO4, Na2CO3, H2SO4, NaCl)
- Recovery and precipitation of uranium from a range of IX eluates (H2SO4, NaCl, H2SO2, NaHCO3)
- Development of a novel SX process to recover uranium from liquors containing high chloride concentrations.
Zenith Minerals has also been investigating the separation and recovery of uranium as a by-product from several types of hydrometallurgical circuits (e.g. uranium from phosphoric acid). Minerals has a long term interest in the treatment of ores where there is a high chloride concentration in the process water.
Site work, including surveys, audits and plant trials, is an important feature of Zenith Minerals’ involvement with industry. Plant operations are a significant factor in transferring the results of our laboratory research to industry.
Overseas projects
Zenith Minerals has recently been involved with overseas projects including the Rossing, Langer Heinrich, Trekkopje, Rossing South and Marenica developments in Namibia, the Mkuju River and Manyoni deposits in Tanzania, the Ryst Kuil project in South Africa and the Kayelekera deposit in Malawi.
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