Contaminants Recovery from Acid Mine Drainage

In some mines where sulfide minerals can occur in form of pyrite acid mine drainage (AMD) may occur, and it constitutes one of the main environmental impact. In order to prevent that AMD compromises aquifers layers and reaches mine surroundings, a treatment that consists in its neutralization with the use of a hydrated lime suspension is usually conducted. Contaminants that are soluble in AMD are precipitated, remaining in the solid phase. The work here presented aims recover uranium and rare earths found in one of these precipitates, which consists of calcium diuranate and metal hydroxides in a calcium sulfate matrix. This material contains approximately 0.25% of triuranium octoxide (U3O8) and 2.5% of rare earth oxides (TR2O3). The recovery of uranium and rare earths contained in the precipitate was performed through a hydrometallurgical process. The test resulted in a leaching with sulfuric acid presented solubilization of 96% for uranium and 90% for rare earths. A percentage yield of 99.7% and 99.9% was obtained in the steps of uranium extraction and re-extraction from the leachate, respectively.

The Sintering Mixed Powders Behavior of Triuranium Octoxide in Uranium Dioxide

The main aim of this research was to study the sintering behavior in hydrogen atmosphere of mixed powders of triuranium octoxide (U3O8) powder in dioxide uranium (UO2) powders. By cold pressing the green pellets of mixed powders of triuranium octoxide in hyper stoichiometric uranium dioxide has density over 40 % UO2 theoretical density (TD). The sintered pellets had a height diameter ratio (H / D) over one and oxygen uranium ratio (O/U) near stoichiometry of uranium dioxide (UO2). The densities of sintered pellets were up to 97% of uranium dioxide theoretical density. The proposed treatment of sintering are function of green pellets density. Increasing the proportion of triuranium octoxide leads to a decrease in the density of the sinter pellets. The pellets made by 100 % of triuranium octoxide not resist to proposed sintering treatment. The metallographic analysis show uniform grains for sinter pellets made by the 30 % mixture of triuranium octoxide in uranium dioxide. This UO2 sinter pellets are without surface defects.