A Single Stage Pressure Leach Hydrometallurgical Method For The Removal Of Radionuclides From Radioactive Copper Concentrates

摘要

#$%^&*AU2017254980A120180614.pdf#####Abstract 5 A single stage pressure leach method for the removal of uranium, thorium, radium, lead, bismuth and polonium and/ or other radionuclides from a radioactive copper concentrate to produce an upgraded copper concentrate having lowered emission levels is described. The method involves subjecting 10 the copper concentrate to an atmospheric pressure oxidative acidic leaching process to dissolve copper from the dirty concentrate. The slurry is then further subjected to an acidic non-oxidising leaching process using the earlier leached copper sulfate in a chloride matrix under lowered electrochemically conditions, to allow controlled removal of one or more of the radionuclides to 15 produce the lowered emission level upgraded copper concentrate, and lower soluble copper losses in the discharge stream. This second leaching process is conducted to transfer essentially all the copper in the lixiviant into the upgraded copper concentrate, at elevated temperature and under pressure to suppress boiling in the leaching process. 20 Drawing to accompany Abstract: Figure 10 w 0) 0(D 0L 0 0 oW W d, C) C) 00 0L 0 F - CX 0O 00 0~00 ~ 0 0 W 0 -OH Oz KO0 U-)r i- _ 0 Zl w00 T-(Y a 0w *o H H) 0 O Cl)