Study on alkali leaching of a complicated uranium-bearing magnetic concentrate

Alkali leaching of a complicated uranium-bearing magnetic concentrate was studied. The research results showed that the uranium recovery from the concentrate leaching increased with destruction and dissolution of organic matters. It is suitable and feasible to treat the magnetic concentrate by a two-stage alkali leaching process including pre-leaching, and it is beneficial to treat the obtained product solution in the subsequent operations. It is extremely possible that the residual uranium in the leached residue is closely associated with hard-to-open davidite. So it is not reasonable economically to continue intensifying the conditions to treat the concentrate