Uranium ore dressing and its application in hydrometallurgy in China

The characteristics of domestic uranium resources are studied and analized, and the ore dressing possibility and the principal ore processing patterns of granitic, volcanic, carbon-siliceous-muddy, sandstone and lignite uranium-bearing and other deposits are summarized. It is pointed out that the suitable ore dressing flowsheets for the ores of all kinds of deposits can be used possibly with the technologies of radiometry, gravity, magnetic separation, floatation and screening, and the manifold combined dressing-hydrometallurgical circuits can be adopted to improve the grade and quality for ore feed in hydrometallurgy and to recover associated elements effectively, so that the uranium hydrometallurgical cost can be decreased obviously and the economic benefits of uranium deposit can be increased. The conclusions and suggestions are made for how to further enhance the economic benefits in uranium hydrometallurgy