Capability of Uranium Heap Leaching from Gattar and El Missikat area, Eastern Desert, Egypt: A kinetic Approach

Abstract

Detailed studies of uranium heap leaching from different uranium mineralization resources situated in Eastern Desert of Egypt were investigated using sulfuric acid via batch experiments, bench scale leaching tests using small column also investigated after obtained optimum conditions. The obtained data shows that leaching of GII mineralization attained about 78.3% using 34 kg/ton at 44 days leaching time, on the other hand, leaching efficiency of uranium from El-Missikat mineralization was about 86.6% which is higher than GII mineralization using 28kg/ton at a 40 days leaching time. Kinetics reaction models of column tests have been investigated to improved understanding of the chemical reaction mechanism that is involved in the dissolution of this refractory mineral that influence the leaching process Based on the leaching results of the two mineralized occurrences, the rate of the uranium dissolution is controlled by both the chemical reaction and the diffusion reaction but diffusion reaction control was more predominate than a chemical reaction.