Geometallurgy of Australian uranium deposits |
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| Institution: | 1. School of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia;2. BHP Olympic Dam, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia;3. School of Mathematical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia;4. ARC Centre of Excellence in Ore Deposits, School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7005, Australia;1. Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Service d''Etude du Comportement des Radionucléides, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France;2. Consultant, 21540 Chevannay, France;3. ORANO Mines, Environmental R&D Department, 125 Avenue de Paris, 92330 Châtillon, France;4. Mines Paris, PSL University, Centre de Géosciences, 35 rue St Honoré, 77330 Fontainebleau, France;1. Université de Poitiers, CNRS UMR 7285 IC2MP, HydrASA Bât. B35, 6 rue Michel Brunet, 86073 Poitiers Cedex 9, France;2. Université de Nantes - CNRS UMR 6112 Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géodynamique (LPG), 2 rue de la Houssinière, 44322 Nantes, France;3. Université de Limoges, Laboratoire Peirene, 123 Avenue A. Thomas, 87060 Limoges Cedex, France;4. ICSM, CEA, CNRS, ENSCM, Univ Montpellier, Site de Marcoule, Bât. 426, BP 17171, 30207 Bagnols-sur-Cèze, France;5. KATCO, 282 Ave Dostyk, 050020 Almaty, Kazakhstan;6. AREVA Resources Canada Inc., P.O. Box 9204, 810 – 45th Street West, Saskatoon, SK S7K 3X5, Canada |
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| Abstract: | Australian uranium ores are often composed of complex mineral assemblages. Differences in ore compositions and textures are seen between deposits as well as within a single deposit, which can host a range of ore types. Such a wide variety of uranium ores make it impossible for a single extraction or treatment process to be developed that will accommodate all of the ores. From a mineralogical perspective, key issues confronting the Australian uranium mining industry include: the prevalence of low grade ores; a lack of detailed chemical and mineralogical information (uranium speciation, texture, grainsize) for the various ore deposit types; and the presence of refractory uranium-bearing minerals and highly acid-consuming gangue minerals. This paper reviews some of the main controls on uranium geometallurgy by linking concepts relating to ore genesis and the resulting ore mineralogy, with the processing behaviour of specific Australian uranium ore types. Emphasis is placed on the value of detailed ore mineralogical analysis and the insight this provides into the factors of importance when considering uranium extraction. |
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