Prospects for selective-and-advanced recovery of rhenium from pregnant solutions of in-situ leaching of uranium ores at Dobrovolnoye deposit

Abstract

Analysis of exploration materials and market conditions showed that by-product recovery of rhenium, one of the rarest strategic elements of the periodic system, was not always effective in processing the whole volume of pregnant uranium-bearing solutions. The main goal of the research was to develop an effective method for recovery rhenium from pregnant solutions in in-situ uranium leaching. The objectives of the research were as follows: evaluation of the possibility of selective-and-advanced recovery of rhenium from ores by in-situ leaching method and comparison of the technological advantages of the new proposed method with the known ones. The study involved the analysis of historical geological, mineralogical and geochemical information on the Dobrovolnoye deposit and analysis of technological aspects of by-product recovery of rhenium in the world practice. A selective-and-advanced scheme of rhenium recovery from pregnant uranium-bearing sulfate (sulfuric acid) solutions of the Dobrovolnoye deposit ISL (Russia) using mobile installations was proposed. The process has the following features: zoning of production blocks when constructing injection and extraction (pumping) wells; piping of selective extraction wells into a separate collecting pipe; implementation of advanced rhenium sorption. The process implementation makes it possible to obtain rhenium from economically viable areas of the uranium deposit. The mobile installation includes the following main units: a filter for purification (aftertreatment) to remove suspension, a chain of sorption apparatuses (sorption filters or columns), connecting fittings, control and measuring instruments. The sorption apparatuses are filled with rhenium-selective ionite (ion exchanger). As a selective sorbent for the primary concentration of rhenium from sulfate solutions (pH 2), weakly basic nitrogen-bearing ionites containing amine functional groups of various types can be used. If further concentration of rhenium is required, in order to unify the equipment used, materials with a mobile extractant phase (so-called TVEXs (solid extractants or Levextrel resins in English literature) and so-called “impregnated” or “impregnates”), such as TVEX-DIDA containing diisododecyl amine, or TAA-impregnate containing trialkylamine, can be used. Rhenium desorption from these materials is carried out by an ammonia solution, which allows producing rough ammonium perrhenate from the eluate. Economic aspects of the rhenium selective-andadvanced technology were evaluated. Implementation of the recovery selective-and-advanced technology allows obtaining rhenium from economically-viable areas of the uranium deposit.