METHOD OF PROCESSING CHEMICAL CONCENTRATE OF NATURAL URANIUM Russian patent published in 2012 - IPC C22B60/02 C22B3/06 C22B3/38 

FIELD: chemistry.

SUBSTANCE: method involves leaching in order to dissolve uranium when the concentrate reacts with nitric acid solution to obtain pulp from the concentrate. Uranium is then extracted from the pulp using tributyl phosphate in a hydrocarbon solvent. The extract is washed and uranium is re-extracted. Extraction is carried out from freshly prepared pulp which is obtained through direct-flow reaction at temperature 20-65°C of a stream of a suspension of the concentrate in water which is prepared beforehand and a stream of nitric acid solution with flow rate ratio which ensures nitric acid concentration in the pulp of 25-120 g/l. The period from the beginning of leaching to the beginning of extraction is not more than 10 minutes.

EFFECT: protection of extraction from formation of non-demixing emulsions, providing given purity of uranium from ballast impurities and obtaining raffinates which can be removed into underground collector sand layers.

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