Extraction of uranium and rare earths from mineralized ferruginous sandstone, southwestern Sinai
-
Saleh Mohamed El Hady
Abstract
A technological sample assaying 943 ppm U and about 0.97 % RE2O3 in a mineralized ferruginous sandstone has been collected from Wadi Sedri area of southwestern Sinai. The XRD analysis has releaved the presence of uranium minerals namely; coffinite and sodium meta-autonite but the rare earths adsorbed on the clay minerals inter the ore sample. Leaching of uranium and rare earths from the studied sample is based on ferric sulfate salt. The relevant conditions e.g. (6 g/L ferric sulfate concentration, 1/5 S/L ratio, time 8 h, T = 80 °C and 7.5 g/L H2SO4 concentration) of the ferric ion leaching for uranium and rare earths have been optimized. From the obtained leach liquor, the rare earths are precipitated as oxalates. This is followed by uranium recovery using anion exchange resin as impregnated Lewatite Monoplus M 500/Alamine 304. Therefore, highly pure products of uranium and rare earths have been obtained and chemically analyzed.
-
Author contributions: The author has accepted responsibility for the entire content of this submitted manuscript and approved submission.
-
Research funding: The author has not funding in the manuscript.
-
Conflict of interest statement: The author declares no conflicts of interest regarding this article.
References
1. Bowell, R. J., Gorgan, J., Hutton-Ashkenny, M., Brough, C., Penman, K., Sapsford, D. J. Geometallurgy of uranium deposits. Miner. Eng. 2011, 24, 1305–1313; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2011.05.005.Search in Google Scholar
2. Cuney, D., Kyser, K. Recent and not so recent developments in uranium deposits and implications for exploration, Vol. 39; Mineralogical Society of Canada Short Course: Ottawa, Canada, 2008; p. 257.Search in Google Scholar
3. McKay, A. D., Meiitis, Y. Australia’s uranium resources, geology and development of deposits. AGSO-Geoscience Australia, Mineral Resources Report 1, ISBN 064247161, 2001. http://www.ga.gov.au/image_cache/GA9508.pdf.Search in Google Scholar
4. Al Shami, A. S. Ph. D. Thesis, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, Egypt; 2003; p. 134.Search in Google Scholar
5. Abdellah, W. M. Recovery of Rare Earths and Some Associated Elements from East Abu Zeneima Gibbsite, Sinai, Egypt. M. Sc, Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Ain-Shams University, 2009.Search in Google Scholar
6. Afifi, S. Overview on uranium with emphasis on surficial uranium deposits in Egypt. Arab J. Nucl. Sci. Appl. 2021, 54, 109–125; https://doi.org/10.21608/ajnsa.2021.79882.1477.Search in Google Scholar
7. Sallam, O. R., Alshami, A. S., Azab, M. S., El Akeed, I. A. The occurrence of silver-gold mineralization associated with uranium bearing minerals and base metal sulphide, El Sheikh Soliman Area, south Sinai, Egypt. Egypt. J. Pure Appl. Sci. 2014, 52, 47–54.10.21608/ejaps.2014.185946Search in Google Scholar
8. El Akeed, I. A., Sallam, O. R., Alshami, A. S., Zaeimah, M. A. Polymetallic Mineralization Controlled by Structure and Lithologic Factors, Wadi Sedri Environs, Southwestern Sinai, Egypt; Geological Society of Egypt: Egypt, 2014; p. 58.Search in Google Scholar
9. Merritt, R. C. Extractive Metallurgy of Uranium; Colorado School of Mines: Golden, 1971.Search in Google Scholar
10. Miller, P. C., Spencer, R. M. A process of ferric leaching of metal ores and concentrates. Pub. No. WO2013173855 A1, 2013.Search in Google Scholar
11. Vuorinen, A., Hiltunen, P., Tuovinen, O. Redox and precipitation reactions of iron and uranium solubilized from ore materials. Hydrometallurgy 1986, 15, 297–301; https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-386x(86)90062-9.Search in Google Scholar
12. Schultze, L. E., Bauer, D. J., Morimoto, M. T. Ferric leaching of uranium values from lignite. United States Patent 4,272,491, 1981.Search in Google Scholar
13. Dressler, A., Leydier, A., Grandjean, A. Effects of impregnated amidophosphonate ligand concentration on the uranium concentration behavior of mesoporous silica. Molecules 2022, 27, 4342: 1–13; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules271444342.Search in Google Scholar
14. Sole, K. C., Cole, P. M., Feather, A. M., Kotze, M. H. Solvent extraction and ion exchange applications in Africa’s resurging uranium industry: a review. Solvent Extr. Ion Exch. 2011, 29, 868–899; https://doi.org/10.1080/07366299.2011.581101.Search in Google Scholar
15. Sapsford, D. J., Bowell, R. J., Geroni, J. N., Penman, K. N., Dey, M. Factors influencing the release rate of uranium, thorium, ytrrium and rare earth elements from a low grade ore. Miner. Eng. 2012, 39, 165–172. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2012.08.002.Search in Google Scholar
16. Langmuir, D. Aqueous Environmental Geochemistry; Prentice Hall: New Jersey, 1997.Search in Google Scholar
17. Devries, F. W. Hydrogen peroxide in sulfuric acid extraction of uranium ores. United States Patent 4,425,307, 1984.Search in Google Scholar
18. James, A. Sales and technical marketing manager – exports, Solvay SBU H2O2. Solvay Global Annual Report 2008.Search in Google Scholar
19. Lunt, D., Boshoff, P., Boylett, M., El-Ansary, Z. Uranium extraction: the key process drivers. The Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy – published firstly at the SAIMM conference – Uranium in Namibia 2007, 107, 419–426.Search in Google Scholar
20. Venter, R., Boylett, M. The evaluation of various oxidants used in acid leaching of uranium. In Hydrometallurgy Conference 2009, the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 2009.Search in Google Scholar
21. Nettleton, K. C. A., Nikoloski, A. N., Costa, M. D. The leaching of uranium from betafite. Hydrometallurgy 2015, 157, 270–279. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hydromet.2015.09.008.Search in Google Scholar
22. Bakry, A. R., Zaki, D. I., Gamil, E. A., El Hady, S. M., Abd El Fattah, N. A. Selective separation of uranium using modified Dowex 1X8/TOA from carbonate leaching of dolostone ore, Allouga area, Sinai. ZAAC 2021, 647, 1373–1382; https://doi.org/10.1002/zaac.202100099.Search in Google Scholar
23. El Hady, S. M. A novel procedure for processing of the xenotime mineral concentrate of southwestern Sinai. Korean J. Chem. Eng. 2017, 34, 2049–2055; https://doi.org/10.1007/s11814-017-0095-0.Search in Google Scholar
24. Bergholm, A. Oxidation of Pyrite. Report 95-389; U.S.Geological Survey, 1996.10.3133/ofr95389Search in Google Scholar
25. Sidana, S. Sulfuric acid production using catalytic oxidation. Int. J. Eng. Techn. Res. (IJETR) 2016, 6, 65–68.Search in Google Scholar
26. Preuss, A., Kurrin, R. A general survey of types and characteristics of ion exchange resin used in uranium recovery [R]. In Reports Series No. 359; International Atomic Energy Agency: Vienna, 1965.Search in Google Scholar
27. Muhammed, S. S. Uranium sorption using lewatite monoplus M 500 from sulphate media. Sci. J. Chem. 2020, 8, 7–19; https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjc.20200801.12.Search in Google Scholar
28. Gawad, E. A. Kinetics of extraction process of uranium from El-Missikat mineralized shear zone, Eastern Desert, Egypt. Mater. Sci. Indian J. 2015, 13, 308–316.Search in Google Scholar
29. Bertoli, A. C., Quintao, M. C., De Abreu, H. A., Ladeira, A. Q., Duarte, H. A. Uranium separation from acidmine drainage using anionic resins- an experimental/theoretical investigation of its chemical speciation and an interaction mechanism. J. Environ. Chem. Eng. 2019, 7; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2018.11.035.Search in Google Scholar
30. McGarvey, F. X., Ungar, J. The influence of resin functional group on the ion-exchange recovery of uranium. J. South African Inst. Min. Metall. 1981, 81, 93–100.Search in Google Scholar
31. Marczenko, Z. Separation and Spectrophotometric Determination of Elements; John Wiley and Sons Inc: USA, New York, 1986; pp. 442–443.Search in Google Scholar
32. Davies, W., Gray, W. A rapid and specific titrimetric method for the precise determination of uranium using iron (II) sulphate as reductant. Talanta 1964, 11, 1203–1211; https://doi.org/10.1016/0039-9140(64)80171-5.Search in Google Scholar
33. El Kazaz, M. A., Hashad, A. H. Fundamentals of Geochemistry; Faculty of Earths Sciences, King Abd El Aziz University: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 2000.Search in Google Scholar
34. Ismael, M. R. C., Carvalho, J. M. R. Iron recovery from sulphate leach liquors in zinc hydrometallurgy. J. Miner. Eng. 2003, 16, 31–39; https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(02)00310-2.Search in Google Scholar
© 2023 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Original Papers
- Excitation functions of the 197Au(p,pxn) and 197Au(p,xn) reactions
- Measurement of spectrum-averaged cross sections of the (n,p) and (n,n′) reactions on strontium by fast neutrons of a TRIGA reactor: comparison with integrated data from excitation functions of various data libraries
- Extraction of uranium and rare earths from mineralized ferruginous sandstone, southwestern Sinai
- Cesium ion removal from low-level radioactive wastewater utilizing synthesized cobalt hexacyanoferrate-sand composite
- Separation of 71,72As from alpha-particle induced reaction on gallium oxide target using naturally occurring alkaloid caffeine
- Quality characteristics of white button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) affected by gamma irradiation and volatile oils during storage
- A closer inspection of the structural, mechanical, optical and radiation shielding properties of GeO2-doped magnesium-telluroborate glasses
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Original Papers
- Excitation functions of the 197Au(p,pxn) and 197Au(p,xn) reactions
- Measurement of spectrum-averaged cross sections of the (n,p) and (n,n′) reactions on strontium by fast neutrons of a TRIGA reactor: comparison with integrated data from excitation functions of various data libraries
- Extraction of uranium and rare earths from mineralized ferruginous sandstone, southwestern Sinai
- Cesium ion removal from low-level radioactive wastewater utilizing synthesized cobalt hexacyanoferrate-sand composite
- Separation of 71,72As from alpha-particle induced reaction on gallium oxide target using naturally occurring alkaloid caffeine
- Quality characteristics of white button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) affected by gamma irradiation and volatile oils during storage
- A closer inspection of the structural, mechanical, optical and radiation shielding properties of GeO2-doped magnesium-telluroborate glasses
