Mining or in situ disintegration of hard material – In situ conversion of solid to fluid – Dissolving or chemical reaction
Patent
1981-06-18
1984-10-09
Purser, Ernest R.
Mining or in situ disintegration of hard material
In situ conversion of solid to fluid
Dissolving or chemical reaction
423 7, 423 17, E21C 4114
Patent
active
044757727
ABSTRACT:
Uranium and other base metals are leached from their ores with aqueous solutions containing bicarbonate ions that have been generated or reconstituted by converting other non-bicarbonate anions into bicarbonate ions. The conversion is most conveniently effected by contacting solutions containing SO.sub.4.sup.= and Cl.sup.- ions with a basic anion exchange resin so that the SO.sub.4.sup.= and Cl.sup.- ions are converted into or exchanged for HCO.sub.3.sup.- ions. CO.sub.2 may be dissolved in the solution so it is present during the exchange. The resin is preferably in bicarbonate form prior to contact and CO.sub.2 partial pressure is adjusted so that the resin is not fouled by depositing metal precipitates. In-situ uranium mining is conducted by circulating such solutions through the ore deposit. Oxidizing agents are included in the injected lixiviant. The leaching strength of the circulating bicarbonate lixiviant is maintained by converting the anions generated during leaching or above-ground recovery processes into HCO.sub.3.sup.- ions. The resin may conveniently be eluted and reformed intermittently.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2838370 (1958-06-01), Calkins
patent: 2896930 (1959-07-01), Menke
patent: 2992887 (1961-07-01), Thunaes et al.
patent: 3130960 (1964-04-01), Martin
patent: 3156644 (1964-11-01), Kunin
patent: 3792903 (1974-02-01), Rhoades
patent: 3853981 (1974-12-01), Hadzeriga
patent: 4066297 (1978-01-01), Spence
patent: 4105253 (1978-08-01), Showalter
"Desal Process" Rohm and Haas Publication 1971, pp. 1-30.
Mich, Jr. A.
Purser Ernest R.
Wyoming Mineral Corporation
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