VNIPIpromtekhnologii JSC (Moscow, Russia)
D. V. Maynikov, Head of Laboratory, Candidate of Engineering Sciences, maynikov.d.v@vnipipt.ru
E. Yu. Meshkov, Head of Department
A. V. Tatarnikov, Head of Group
V. A. Tolkachev, Chief Specialist, Candidate of Engineering Sciences
Priargunsky Industrial Mining and Chemical Union (PIMCU) PJSC (Krasnokamensk, Russia)
A. A. Morozov, Director of Science, Doctor of Engineering Sciences
Due to the depletion of the mineral resources of the aluminosilicate ores in the Streltsov ore field, and for the stable uranium production for the next 20–30 years, it was decided to start extraction of the reserves of PIMCU’s Mine No. 6 at the Argunskoe and Zherlovoe deposits. The ores of these deposits are mainly of carbonate type, which requires construction of a new hydrometallurgical plant using a technology including: autoclave sodium carbonate leaching, sequential adsorption of uranium and molybdenum from pulps, liquid extraction of uranium and production of finished products in the form of triuranium octoxide and ammonium paramolybdate. This article provides an overview of the proposed technology, as well as the additional research findings on washing sodium carbonate from pulp and on uranium and molybdenum adsorption. In order to study the possibility of using currently available anionites for the adsorption of uranium and molybdenum from pulp toward adsorptive concentration of molybdenum from acidified desorbate, the distribution of sulfate ion during adsorption of uranium (and molybdenum) from pulps was studied, and the parameters of molybdenum adsorption and adsorptive concentration were adjusted. It is determined that anionites, which initially have high mechanical strength and contain mesopores, including the tested anionites Bestion D299 and Rusion AM-p, work stably in the adsorption cycles and sustain their physicochemical and adsorption properties. The adsorption capacity of anionites with respect to uranium is 40–45 g/dm3, and the kinetic coefficient of adsorption is β = 0.047 hours. The adsorption capacity anionites with respect to molybdenum is about 2 g/dm3. The kinetics of molybdenum adsorption from sulfuric acid salt solutions at pH = 3–3.5 is governed by the diffusion rate of the multinucleated molybdenum complex inside the grain of anionite (gel kinetics).
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