METHOD OF PROCESSING CHEMICAL CONCENTRATE OF NATURAL URANIUM Russian patent published in 2013 - IPC C22B60/02 C22B3/38 

FIELD: chemistry.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to the technology of processing chemical concentrates of natural uranium, involving leaching (dissolving) the concentrate and extracting uranium using tributyl phosphate in a hydrocarbon diluent. The method involves dissolving the concentrate using aqueous nitric acid solution, feeding the obtained aqueous uranyl nitrate solution to the extract outputting step of a stepped extraction unit and extracting uranium with tributyl phosphate in a hydrocarbon diluent. Extraction is carried out by counterflow interaction of the aqueous and organic phases. Concentrate containing thorium impurities in ratio of 1 wt % to uranium is used. During extraction at the extract outputting step, the step for saturating the extractant with uranium is kept at least 87% of the maximum saturation of the extractant with uranium, and a portion of the aqueous phase, which is not more than 60 vol. % of the uranyl nitrate solution fed to the extract outputting step, after one of the extraction steps is removed from the extraction process and fed for dissolving the uranium concentrate.

EFFECT: high extraction of uranium and nitric acid from the raffinate.

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