Assessment of the Greenhouse Gas Footprint and Environmental Impact of CO_(2)and O_(2)in situ Uranium Leaching

Under the new development philosophy of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality,CO_(2)and O_(2)in situ leaching(ISL)has been identified as a promising technique for uranium mining in China,not only because it solves carbon dioxide utilization and sequestration,but it also alleviates the environmental burden.However,significant challenges exist in assessment of CO_(2)footprint and water-rock interactions,due to complex geochemical processes.Herein this study conducts a three-dimensional,multicomponent reactive transport model(RTM)of a field-scale CO_(2)and O_(2)ISL process at a typical sandstone-hosted uranium deposit in Songliao Basin,China.Numerical simulations are performed to provide new insight into quantitative interpretation of the greenhouse gas(CO_(2))footprint and environmental impact(SO_(4)^(2–))of the CO_(2)and O_(2)ISL,considering the potential chemical reaction network for uranium recovery at the field scale.RTM results demonstrate that the fate of the CO_(2)could be summarized as injected CO_(2)dissolution,dissolved CO_(2)mineralization and storage of CO_(2)as a gas phase during the CO_(2)and O_(2)ISL process.Furthermore,compared to acid ISL,CO_(2)and O_(2)ISL has a potentially smaller environmental footprint,with 20%of SO_(4)^(2–)concentration in the aquifer.The findings improve our fundamental understanding of carbon utilization in a long-term CO_(2)and O_(2)ISL system and provide important environmental implications when considering complex geochemical processes.

Factors influencing in-situ leaching of uranium mining in a sandstone deposit in Shihongtan, Northwest China

The Shihongtan uranium deposit in northwest China is a sandstone-type deposit suitable for alkaline in-situ leaching exploitation of uranium. Alkaline leaching tends to result in CaCO3 precipitation there by affecting the porosity of the ore-bearing aquifer. CaCO3 deposits can also block pumping and injection holes if the formulation parameters of the leaching solution are not well controlled. However, controlling these parameters to operate the in-situ leaching process is challenging. Our study demonstrates that the dissolved uranium concentration in the leaching solution increases as HCO3-concentration increases. Therefore, the most suitable HCO3-concentration to use as leaching solution is defined by the boundary value of the HCO3-concentration that controls CaCO3 dissolution-precipitation. That is, the dissolution and precipitation of calcite is closely related to pH, Ca2+ and HCO3-concentration. The pH and Ca2+ concentration are the main factors limiting HCO3-concentration in the leaching solution. The higher the pH and Ca2+ concentration, the lower the boundary value of HCO3-concentration, and therefore the more unfavorable to in-situ leaching of uranium.

Improved uranium leaching efficiency from low-permeability sandstone using low-frequency vibration in the CO_(2)+O_(2) leaching process

Extraction of uranium from low-permeability sandstone is a long-standing challenge in mining.The improvement of sandstone permeability has therefore become a key research focus to improve the uranium leaching effect.To address the low-permeability problem and corresponding leaching limits,leaching experiments are performed using newly developed equipment that could apply low-frequency vibration to the sandstone samples.The test results indicate that low-frequency vibration significantly improves the uranium leaching performance and permeability of the sandstone samples.The leaching effect of low-frequency vibration treatment is approximately nine times more effective than ultrasonic vibration treatment,whereas the concentration of uranium ions generated without vibration treatment is not detectable.Mathematical model that considers the combined action of physico-mechanical vibration and chemical erosion is established to describe the effect of low-frequency vibration on the permeability.The calculated results are in good agreement with the tested permeability values.This study thus offers a new method to effectively leach more uranium from low-permeability sandstone using CO_(2)+O_(2)and provides an insight into the impact of low-frequency vibration on the uranium leaching process.

Quantifying the impact of mineralogical heterogeneity on reactive transport modeling of CO_(2)+O_(2) in-situ leaching of uranium

CO_(2)+O_(2) in-situ leaching(ISL)of sandstonetype uranium ore represents the third generation of solution mining in China.In this study,reactive transport modeling of the interaction between hydrodynamic and geochemical reactions is performed to enable better prediction and regulation of the CO_(2)+O_(2) in-situ leaching process of uranium.Geochemical reactions between mining solutions and rock,and the kinetic uranium dissolution controlled by O_(2)(aq)and bicarbonate(HCO_(3)-)are considered in the CO_(2)+O_(2) ISL reactive transport model of a typical sandstone-hosted uranium ore deposit in northern China.The reactive leaching of uranium is most sensitive to the spatial distribution of the mineralogical properties of the uranium deposit.Stochastic geostatistical models are used to represent the uncertainty on the spatial distribution of mineral grades.A Monte Carlo analysis was also performed to simulate the uranium production variability over an entire set of geostatistical realizations.The ISL stochastic simulation performed with the selected geostatistical realizations approximates the uranium production variability well.The simulation results of the ISL reactive transport model show that the extent of the uranium plume is highly dependent on mineralogical heterogeneity.The uncertainty analysis suggests the effect of uranium grade heterogeneity was found to be important to improve the accurate capture of the uncertainty.This study provides guidance for the accurate simulation and dynamic regulation of the CO_(2)+O_(2) leaching process of uranium at the scale of large mining areas.

Pyrite Oxidation in Leaching Process ofRadionuclides and Heavy Metals fromUranium Mill Tailings

Pyrite is a sensitive mineral in the geological environment, and its oxidation produces an important geochemical and environmental effect on the control of the redox and pH conditions. Column experiment results were used for modeling the geochemical processes in uranium mill tailings under leaching conditions. Oxidation of pyrite dominates the control of the tailings leaching process. The experimental and modeling results show that the leachate chemistry changes substantially with the decrease in pyrite consumption. In the initial stage of the leaching experiment, the pyrite is consumed several hundred times greater than that in the later stages, for much more oxygen is present in the tailings in the initial stage. As the experiment continues, the tailings is gradually saturated with water and the oxygen concentration greatly decreases and so does pyrite consumption. The experimental and modeling results are useful for the design of mill tailing decommissioning: oxidation process and transport of radioactive nuclides and heavy metals can be constrained by controlling the oxygen concentration of tailings and the infiltration of meteoric water.

独居石优溶渣浸出过程研究

独居石是典型伴生铀、钍的稀土矿资源,通过现有的碱溶转化、优溶等步骤提取稀土后,所得优溶渣是富含铀、钍、稀土的重要二次资源。为与稀土提取保持一致的盐酸体系,研究优溶渣的盐酸浸出过程对整体回收工艺十分关键。采取单因素试验考察浸出过程条件对铀、钍、稀土浸出率的影响。结果表明,使用下述优化参数:盐酸浓度6 mol/L、浸出时间1.5~2 h、浸出温度60℃、液固体积质量比3 mL/g时,优溶渣中铀、钍、稀土的浸出率分别可达90%~95%、92%~93%、>60%,实现了较高的资源回收率。浸出渣的工艺矿物学分析表明,其主要由锆石、钍化合物和石英等脉石矿物组成。剩余的稀土组分则主要集中在未分解的独居石中,其余为少量磷钇矿和褐钇铌矿。试验结果可为独居石优溶渣的综合回收技术提供基础数据和支撑。

地浸采铀注液井小直径潜水泵抽水洗井试验

某地浸采铀试验采区注液井周边含矿层堵塞严重。注液井套管内径仅有80 mm,在常规空压机抽水洗井结束后,在3口注液井中开展了小直径潜水泵抽水洗井试验。初始抽水量均在4.5 m_(3)/h左右,期间最小抽水量为3.4 m_(3)/h,其中2口井的第1股最浑浊洗井水的含砂量分别为4.36、5.19 kg/m_(3)。粒度、电镜扫描和化学组成分析显示,洗井水沉降干渣中的矿物碎屑主要为粉砂、细砂碎屑,少量黏土碎屑;化学沉淀主要是CaCO_(3)、MgCO_(3)和FeCO_(3);潜水泵抽水洗井累计运行约27.5 h,未出现任何故障。试验表明,小直径潜水泵抽水洗井可行且投资少、成本低、安全性高、实施方便。

某独居石优溶渣二段逆流浸出试验研究

针对某独居石优溶渣,研究了采用一段常规浸出—二段逆流浸出工艺浸出铀、钍、稀土。考察了各因素对浸出效果的影响。结果表明:采用一段常规浸出法时,适宜条件下的铀、钍、稀土浸出率分别为98.66%、95.37%、64.23%;采用二段逆流浸出法时,铀、钍、稀土浸出率均可提高0.5%~1.0%,浸出液余酸降低50%以上,矿浆固液分离性能得到了一定改善。

水杨酸螯合树脂对铀的吸附性能

利用低温氮气吸附—脱附法测定水杨酸螯合树脂的比表面积、孔径;考察了水杨酸螯合树脂的热力学稳定性;研究了溶液pH、ρ(Cl^(-))对水杨酸螯合树脂铀吸附性能的影响,以及树脂的吸附等温线、吸附动力学及解吸性能。结果表明:水杨酸螯合树脂的比表面积为32.34 m^(2)/g,孔径为32.08 nm,当温度低于180℃时,水杨酸螯合树脂具有良好的热稳定性;在pH为7~9时,树脂吸附性能较好,铀吸附量达14.1 mg/g(以干树脂计,下同);Cl^(-)的存在会降低树脂对铀的吸附量,当ρ(Cl^(-))为3.0 g/L时,铀吸附量降低约9.9%;当铀溶液的平衡浓度为400 mg/L时,树脂的铀吸附量达到最大,为153 mg/g;吸附20 h,吸附过程达到平衡。酸性解吸剂与碱性解吸剂对树脂均具有良好的解吸性能,解吸率均在94%以上。在ρ(U)=21.2 mg/L、ρ(Cl^(-))=3.36 g/L的真实铀浸出液中吸附24 h,水杨酸螯合树脂的铀吸附量达14.7 mg/g,具有较好的铀吸附性能。

地浸过程中蒙其古尔铀矿床地下水位变化特征及影响因素

矿床的地下水位一般随季节变化而变化,但在采区外围进行铀矿勘探时,发现地下水位与季节变化的联动不明显,这与前人对该矿床地下水天然流场的认识存在较大差异。通过收集矿床勘探阶段的水文地质资料,并结合实际测量结果,分析了地浸开采对蒙其古尔矿床地下水系统产生的影响。结果显示,地浸采区上游未受地浸开采影响,采区内部地下水位出现缓慢下降现象,采区下游地下水位呈持续下降趋势。

地浸采铀用潜水电泵泵轴结构与材料优选

泵轴断裂、泵体腐蚀导致潜水电泵损毁率高。通过理论计算和ANSYS数值模拟,对六棱轴和圆柱轴结构的强度、刚度等力学特性进行了对比,并开展了304、316L、904不锈钢材料的耐腐蚀现场对比试验。结果表明:在同等载荷和等效直径条件下,圆柱轴的圆截面所受剪切应力为六棱轴的64.95%,且扭转角度仅为六棱轴的56.25%;模拟结果显示圆柱轴联轴器最大环向形变为六棱柱轴最大环向形变的68.4%,圆柱轴结构的抗扭性能更优;904不锈钢抗腐蚀性能最佳,但304和316L不锈钢对酸性介质具有类似抗腐蚀性能。综合考虑耐腐蚀余量和制造成本,建议在地浸采铀专用潜水电泵研发过程中选用圆柱泵轴结构,沿用现有316L不锈钢作为主材的选材方案。

探采结合技术在蒙其古尔铀矿床P0线以西的应用

为了提高矿山企业的生产效率、降低生产成本,选择蒙其古尔铀矿床P0线以西地区作为试点,进行探采结合工程的布设原则以及施工工艺应用研究。实践表明,与传统施工流程相比,探采结合工程既达到了地质勘探目的,又满足了矿冶生产需要,做到了时间效益、经济效益、环保效益的优化。

内蒙古芒来铀矿石酸法柱浸试验

为获得溶浸液在不同硫酸质量浓度条件下的铀浸出特征及试验参数,探究内蒙古芒来铀矿床矿石酸法浸出的可行性,开展了不同硫酸质量浓度(5、10、15、20 g/L)的溶浸液下室内柱浸浸铀试验。试验结果表明,随着溶浸液硫酸质量浓度的增高,浸出液铀质量浓度及铀浸出率随之增高,浸出周期缩短,故酸法工艺适合该矿床铀浸出。试验后期浸出液流量降低与长石类矿物的黏土化蚀变有关。针对铀平均品位为8.8×10^(-5)的矿石,铀浸出率为49.80%~54.35%,从浸出率、防堵塞及浸铀成本等方面综合分析,认为质量浓度为10 g/L的硫酸溶浸液较适合该铀矿酸法地浸开采。

地浸采铀工艺中电潜泵内流场数值模拟研究

电潜泵是我国地浸采铀工艺中实现浸出液有效提升的主要装备,但目前针对介质举升状态下电潜泵水力部件内部流场作用机制的研究较少。试验以叶轮-导叶内部结构为研究对象,应用CFD方法对介质流动特性开展非定常分析,研究了叶轮和叶轮出口段内部的压力脉动变化规律,并利用瞬态流场数据对叶轮截面压力流场进行动模态分解(DMD)与压力流场重构,揭示了介质举升状态下由动静干涉引起的压力脉动周期性变化规律与动静部件距离对动静干涉强度的影响规律。结果表明,叶片通过频率值与快速傅里叶变换(FFT)频率值基本一致。试验结果可对减少由压力脉动引发的泵体无效震动、优化电潜泵水力部件结构参数和提升系统效率提供一定理论参考。

新疆512矿床砂岩型铀矿孔隙特征及渗流模拟

地浸采铀工艺是溶浸液在含矿含水层中与铀矿物发生反应,铀元素随溶浸液迁移至地表的一种提铀工艺,精确了解矿区岩石内部结构及金属矿物的分布,对地浸工艺应用具有重要的指导意义。为了解512矿床岩石内部结构及渗流路径,选取该矿床代表性围岩和矿石岩心进行CT扫描,经过图像降噪滤波、图像分割提取孔隙、构建孔隙网络模型等处理与分析,获得各孔喉参数;通过Avizo软件模拟得到绝对渗透率、迂曲率和渗流速度变化。结果表明:围岩和矿石的孔隙度相近,分别为15.42%,15.18%;连通孔隙度分别是9.61%,13.82%。围岩中高密度物质为一些金属矿物,体积分数约为0.54%,矿石中高密度矿物多为次生铀矿物,体积分数为1.06%,其在浸出过程中可与溶浸液充分接触。孔隙内部具有强烈的非均质性,导致流速在流动路径中逐渐降低。围岩和矿石连通的大孔数量多于小孔,指示大孔是决定孔隙发育程度的主要因素。根据速度流线推断围岩和矿石中虽然存在堵塞区,但流通区域占主导地位。

放射性铌铁精矿中铀钍的脱除及分离

通过对国内某企业进口放射性铌铁精矿进行工艺矿物学分析,确定该精矿的主要矿相为烧绿石,同时伴生钛铁矿和白云母,矿石中放射性元素U和Th的含量分别为0.27%和1.03%。针对该铌铁精矿,探索H_(2) SO_(4)-Fe(Ⅲ)、H_(2)SO_(4)-HF-H_(2)O_(2)、H_(2)SO_(4)-HF、H_(2)SO_(4)-HF-H_(2)O_(2)-(NH_(4))_(2)CO_(3)体系中U和Th的浸出及分离效果,最终确定H_(2) SO_(4)-HF-H_(2)O_(2)-(NH_(4))_(2)CO_(3)多段浸出工艺能有效实现U和Th的脱除与分离。U、Th的脱除率分别为100%和80%。基于研究提出了铌铁精矿U、Th脱除及分离工艺流程。

鄂尔多斯某砂岩铀矿试验开采过程中地下水流场时空特征

砂岩型铀矿原地浸出过程中,需要向含矿含水层注入溶浸液,抽取含铀地下水,创造一个人工局部流场。该流场控制溶浸液迁移和溶浸范围,因此掌握地下水流场特征有利于地浸采铀井场工艺调控。以鄂尔多斯盆地某地浸铀矿山一个试验开采区为例,分析80口生产井工作8年的地下水流场的时空特征,可以得出:1)在研究区中,30个抽注单元抽液流量总体上约等于注液流量,抽注基本平衡。2)C8-1单元抽水能力最大,水位最低。研究区内水位在1186~1344 m,水流方向主要是由注水井流向相邻抽水井。3)C7-10单元抽井与左上角注井井距过大,造成抽注井之间出现溶浸死角。4)如果各抽注单元流量均衡,各抽注井距相差不大,抽注单元易形成流速适中的流场,溶浸死角较小;如果井场中各井抽或注流量差异大,易形成溶浸死角,且不合理的井距会增加溶浸死角的范围。

新疆洪海沟矿床酸法地浸采铀试验

洪海沟矿床是我国新疆千吨铀矿大基地的重要后备资源。为确立该矿床开发的适宜浸出工艺,在前期实验室研究基础上,开展了“四注一抽”规模的酸法地浸采铀试验。结果表明:该矿床微酸和低酸浸出均未达到预期浸出效果,采用3.0~4.0 g/L酸度酸化、7.0~7.5 g/L酸度浸出是适宜工艺;300 mg/L剂量的H_(2)O_(2)能加速铀的浸出,但受限于溶出的Fe含量较低,氧化剂效能受限;尽管矿床碳酸盐含量不高,但浸出液Ca^(2+)、SO_(4)^(2-)持续增加易形成石膏沉淀导致抽注流量下降,需要在后续生产中予以关注。