Conclusions
A workable liquid ion exchange process was developed to treat the acid residues to recover uranium, copper, cobalt, and nickel using the equipment available at the Eldorado refinery. Reasonably pure uranium and copper and lower grades of cobalt and nickel salts can be produced.
The main advantages of the process are elimination of acid filtration; low soluble loss in uranium, copper, and cobalt; and separate recovery of the products.
The disadvantages of the process are relatively low-tonnage throughput and high-cost organic circuit inventory.
Although a full economic evaluation of the process has not as yet been completed, the liquid ion exchange in pulp system looks promising.
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References
R. Tremblay and P. Bramwell: Transactions of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 1959, vol. 62, p. 44.
R. R. Swanson and D. W. Agers: “A New Reagent for the Extraction of Copper,” presented at the 1964 AIME Annual Meeting.
C. A. Blake, K. B. Brown, and C. F. Coleman: Oak Ridge National Laboratory Report No. 1903 (1955).
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Joe, E.G., Ritcey, G.M. & Ashbrook, A.W. Uranium & copper extraction by liquid ion exchange. JOM 18, 18–21 (1966). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03378397
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03378397