Priargunsky Industrial Mining and Chemical Union, Krasnokamensk, Russia:

M. V. Yakovlev, Chief Engineer of the Central Research Laboratory, YakovlevMV@ppgho.ru

Priargunsky Industrial Mining and Chemical Union is supplied with uranium and uranium–molybdenum ores of Streltsov fields – the largest uranium ore base in Russia. In the course of uranium production and sorting, low-grade ore is separated and dumped as solid waste. This waste constitutes potential danger to the environment. Under the influence of the atmospheric phenomena, uranium can liberate from the dumps in the form of dust, or in the dissolved form, thereby, polluting soil and groundwater. For the period of company performance since 1968, nearly 5 Mt of low-grade ore have been accumulated at the mine infrastructure site, and their processing using the available technologies is economically inexpedient. This article presents a solution to the problem by including low-grade ore of Streltsov ore field (SOF) in the processing with the preliminary separation of low-metal content ore. The analysis of the particle size distribution of the standard quality SOF ore is presented. The main regularities in the distribution of metal and nonmetal material are determined. It is described how low-grade ore is sorted with respect to the size grades. The economic efficiency of this technology introduction has made more than 90 million rubles in 2014–2016. In addition, the issue of mudding (silting) of ore material, during agglomeration of fine articles is discussed. The authors report the lab test data on the selection of cohesive materials as well as the results of percolation leaching of pellets.

1. Schnell H. Building a uranium heap leach project. In URAM 2014 Conference, 23–27 June, 2014, Vien, Ausrtia. 38 p. Available at: http://www-pub.iaea.org/iaeameetings/cn216pn/Thursday/Session11/178-Schnell.pdf (accessed: 15.06.2017).
2. Heck S., Rogers M. Resource revolution: How to Capture the Biggest Business Opportunity in a Century. Amazon Publishing, 2014. 256 p.
3. Morozov A. A., Yakovlev M. V. Processing-involvement of off-balance uranium ores, formed during the mastering of Streltsovskoe ore field deposits. Gornyy informatsionno-analiticheskiy byulleten. 2016. No. 12. pp. 174–181.
4. Trubetskoy K. N., Kaplunov D. R., Viktorov S. D., Rylnikova M. V., Radchenko D. N. Scientific rationale of technologies for comprehensive resource-saving exploitation of strategic mineral resources. Gornyy informatsionno-analiticheskiy byulleten. 2014. No. 12. pp. 5–12.
5. Shatalov V. V., Smirnov I. P., Matveev A. A., Smirnov K. M. Leaching of uranium and complex ores. Tsvetnye Metally. 2003. No. 4. pp. 27–34.
6. Ghorbani Y., Franzidis J.-P., Petersen J. Heap leaching technology – current state, innovations and future directions: A review. Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy Review. 2016. Vol. 37, No. 2. pp. 73–119.
7. Morozov A. A. Intensifi cation of heap leaching technology for poor uranium raw materials of the Streltsovsky ore fi eld : Dissertation of Candidate of Engineering Sciences. Chita, 2006. 164 p.
8. Litvinenko V., Morozov A. Improvement of the technology of treatment of uranium ores from the Streltsovsky group of deposits. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Uranium Raw Material for the Nuclear Fuel Cycle: Exploration, Mining, Production, Supply and Demand, Economics and Environmental Issues (URAM-2014), 23–27 June 2014. Vienna : International Atomic Energy Agency, 2014. p. 99.
9. Morozov A., Litvinenko V. Development of the heap leaching of low-grade uranium ores for conditions of OJSC Priargunsky Mining and Chemical plant (PPGKhO). Proceedings of the International Symposium on Uranium Raw Material for the Nuclear Fuel Cycle: Exploration, Mining, Production, Supply and Demand, Economics and Environmental Issues (URAM-2014), 23–27 June 2014. Vienna : International Atomic Energy Agency, 2014. p. 178.
10. Durupt N., Thiry J. Heap-Leaching of Low Grade Uranium Ores at Somair. Technical Meeting on Lowgrade Uranium Ore, 29–31 March 2010. Available at: https://www.iaea.org/OurWork/ST/NE/NEFW/documents/RawMaterials/TM_LGUO/4a%20Thiry%20Somair.pdf (accessed: 15.04.2017).
11. Underground and heap leaching of uranium, gold and other elements : in two volumes. Ed.: M. I. Fazlullin. Moscow : “Ore and Metals” Publishing House, 2005. Vol. 1. Uranium. 407 p.
12. Klassen P. V., Grishaev I. G. Basis of granulation technics. Moscow : Himiya, 1982. 272 p.
13. Koltsov V. Yu., Krinov D. I., Kuznetsov I. V. Use of sulfuric acid in the time of pelletization of uranium ores before their heap leaching. Gornyi Zhurnal. 2014. No. 7. pp. 90–93.