SUCCESSIVE RECOVERY OF COPPER AND URANIUM FROM CARBONATE - RICH LATOSOL, UM BOGMA FORMATION, ABUTHOR LOCALITY, SOUTH WESTERN SINAI, EGYPT

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Nuclear Materials Authority,Cairo, Egypt

Abstract

A technological sample of a copper/ uranium mineralization in carbonate rich latosol rock sequence of
Um Bogma Formation Abu Thor locality at southwestern Sinai, Egypt, has been properly processed. The
working sample assaying 12.5 % CuO and 875 ppm U was subjected to adipic acid leaching for copper
followed by bioleaching of uranium in a manner to avoid excessive acid consumption in the classical leaching
procedure. It is thus possible to achieve leaching efficiencies of 95% for Cu in the first stage and 82% for U
in the second stage. From the two separately obtained leach liquors of Cu and uranium, pure products have
conveniently been prepared. Accordingly, Cu adipate product was first prepared by crystallization,followed
by acid dissolution and alkali precipitation of copper hydroxide. In case of uranium, the impure precipitate
of the bioleach liquor is purified via Amberlite IRA-400 anion exchanger resin.

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