DEVELOPMENT OF A HIGH RECOVERY PROCESS FLOWSHEET FOR APPIA'S ELLIOT LAKE URANIUM - RARE EARTH ORE

摘要

Elliot Lake mines were major producers of uranium between 1957 and 1996 and significant yttrium producers. Appia Energy Corp. is developing its Teasdale Deposit near Elliot Lake and which contains approximately 38.5 Mt of Inferred Resources (237 g/t U3O8, 1,570 g/t TREE) and 13 Mt of Indicated Resources (277 g/t U3O8, 1,650 g/t TREE). Appia's mineralogical work shows that the U-bearing minerals uraninite, coffinite and uranothorite, cumulatively carry 70% of the yttrium in the ore. The balance of the REE is contained in monazite, a mineral that is not attacked by the agitated leach historically used to recover uranium. Appia has investigated beneficiation and concentrate treatment processes including roasting, acid baking, pug leaching, and pressure oxidation to enhance overall REE recovery. Certain process options offer uranium recovery greater than 90% and REE recoveries between 80% for the LREE to as high as 90% for some HREE.