Ore Preparation Research Articles

Mineralogical and technological features and patterns of selective disintegration of ferruginous quartzites of the Mikhailovskoye deposit

The growing demand for ferrous metallurgy products necessitates the introduction of technologies that increase the efficiency of the processing of iron-bearing raw materials. A promising trend in this area is the implementation of solutions based on the possibility of selective disintegration of ores. The purpose of this work was to establish the laws of selective disintegration of ferruginous quartzites based on the results of the study of mineralogical and technological properties of raw materials. We present data on the study of mineralogical and technological features of ferruginous quartzites of the Mikhailovskoye deposit. The data were obtained using X-ray fluorescence analysis and automated mineralogical analysis. Based on studies of the nature of dissemination and the size of grains of rock-forming and ore minerals, the tasks of ore preparation are formulated. The parameters for the iron and silicon oxide distribution by grain-size classes in the grinding products were established during the study. Based on empirical dependences, the grain size of grinding was predicted, at which the most effective release of intergrowths of ore minerals and their minimum transition to the size class of –44 µm should be achieved.

Control theory applications when describing centrifugal concentration processes for mineral raw materials

The article discusses an approach aimed at developing an application methodology for the principles and models used in the theory of process control automation. The problems solved in the article are as follows: to try and represent the gravity concentration process (centrifugal concentration) in the form of a transfer function and to establish its parameters. In this case, the limited amount of data obtained in the course of the experiments is the main limitation for building models in the form of differential equations. An original processing and application methodology is proposed for the averaged data used when designing the model. This approach may be applicable to other ore preparation and processing stages as it involves equipment operation using the black box principle. The study is based on replacement of instantaneous characteristics of the input stream with their averaged values and subsequent integration, allowing the creation of a numerical model that coincides with the actual data. Transfer functions and their parameters for tailings and concentrate were established separately. MatLAB software with the Simulink package was used to verify the calculations. As a result, the transfer function was found for a KC-CVD6 device used at a gold deposit and satisfactory simulation results were obtained. The work uses automatic systems identification, system analysis, and mathematical modeling methods, namely, numerical solutions of differential equations using the MatLAB desktop environment with the Simulink package.

Studies to assess the possibility of joint processing of various types of ores

Joint processing of ores from different deposits at a single concentration plant would reduce respective capital costs for the construction of processing facilities at new deposits and, in a number of cases, would improve the processing efficiency. In order to enhance plant technical and economic performance when processing ores from several deposits, clear correlations must be established between the characteristics of the ores processed and respective mechanical and mineralogical properties of the raw materials must be taken into account. This paper assesses the possibility of joint processing of gold-bearing ores from three deposits in the Russian Federation. The assessment includes a comparison of the mineral composition, grades, physical and mechanical properties of the ores, an analysis of their processing potential when using gravity separation and flotation methods, as well as an overview of the prospects of hydrometallurgical processing of the products obtained. A mineral composition comparative study has shown that, despite the different gold grades in the original ore samples, all ores tested have responded similarly well to gravity separation. The physical and mechanical property data obtained for the ores from different deposits allows comparing the products of similar ore preparation cycles by ore source and assess their joint processing possibilities. It has been established that a single process may be used for the ores of all three deposits. This process shall include gravity separation in the grinding cycle to capture free gold and high-grade aggregates. Predictive calculations of joint processing indicators for the ores studied rendered an optimal weight percentage ratio of 20 : 40 : 40, which ensures the maximum gold recovery into marketable products.

CURRENT ISSUES IN THE FIELD OF DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF RESOURCEAND ENERGY-SAVING TECHNOLOGIES, ENVIRONMENTALLY SAFE DESIGNS AND MODES OF OPERATION OF HEATING AND SMELTING FURNACES (on materials of scientific and practical conference)

On March 17‒18, 2022 a conference devoted to actual problems of metallurgical heat engineering, theory and practice of design and construction, technical re-equipment and modernization of designs of modern industrial furnaces of various technological purposes was held. The reports were presented on questions of modern innovativations in metallurgy, including preparation of ore and nonmetallic raw materials, manufacture of sinter and pellets, direct reduction of iron, technologies of reduction of iron ore materials in electric arc furnaces with obtaining pig-iron; production of highquality lime in shaft, double-shaft and kiln furnaces, and also in the combined units; granulation of metallurgical melts; a complex of issues in the area of rolling manufacture, etc. Special attention was paid to the developments in the field of resource- and energy-saving, environmentally friendly designs and modes of operation of the heating and smelting furnaces and new fuel-burning devices. The assessment of current state of theory and practice in the field of metallurgical heat engineering in Russia was provided with recommendations for their further development. The results of the scientific practical conference showed the close link in our scientific-technical community that has a significant potential for improvement of competitiveness and import substitution in the field of pyrometallurgical technologies of the Russian industrial enterprises. The range of problems has been determined in order to achieve the strategic goal of the Russian metallurgy development, i.e. transformation into a dynamically developing, hi-tech, efficient and competitive industry integrated into the world metallurgy within the framework of the international division of labor.

Ore preparation in deep-sea mining of cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts

The article covers the specific features of deep-sea mining of ferromanganese nodules (FMN) and cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts (CMC) found in exploration areas. Experimental studies have been carried out to establish the physical and mechanical properties of CMC samples. These implied sample exposure to a bidirectional axial load from spherical balls (indenters) and compilation of resulting rock strength data sheets for subsequent evaluation. The processes of impact- and cut-induced CMC failure have been experimentally studied with identification of the impact load and axial cutting force required for ore preparation when using the combined mining approach. The existing FMN and CMC recovery facilities have been analyzed and the fundamental design principles have been developed for deep-sea mining with ore preparation. The FMN and CMC mining concept presented and described in the article features a walkingtype mining machine equipped with operating members designed for ore preparation. The article considers various CMC mining solutions using clamshell grabs with a built-in impact tool for ore preparation. A combined mining approach is proposed, with ore preparation implemented in the form of controlled penetration into the CMC bed and subsequent intensification of the impact-induced bed separation process without damaging the substrate. Two layout options have been analyzed for the use of the impact tool and the mining sequence, with the impact tool built along the grab axis or into the jaws of the grab. The latter option is deemed more efficient as it enables penetration management in line with the impact impulses and allows capturing chipped CMC pieces when the jaws are being closed.

INVESTIGATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BOND GRINDABILITY TEST AND STATIC AND DYNAMIC STRENGTH OF ROCKS

The Bond method is widely used in the design of grinding circuits in an ore preparation plant, sizing of mills, determining power requirements and determining and measuring performance, and for materials considered to be comminution. Its use as a standard is very common in the industry as it provides satisfactory results in all industrial applications. The dynamic method was developed as an alternative to static methods in determining the mechanical properties of materials. There are studies investigating the static and dynamic properties of materials and revealing the relationship between these parameters. Previously, a lot of work were done between mechanical tests and grinding. However, in these studies, the relationships were only revealed with equations. Research which is mechanical property closest to the grinding mechanism was not made. In this study, the relationship between grinding and static and dynamic compressive strength was investigated. Dynamic compressive strength was also determined by the Hopkinson dynamic test. For the first time, the relationship between grinding and compressive strength based on the Hopkinson dynamic test was demonstrated. A relationship with a value of R2:0.82 and 0.738 was obtained between grindability and compressive strength depending on the Hopkinson dynamic test.

Analysis of the regularities of basalt open-pit fissility for energy efficiency of ore preparation

Purpose. To identify dependence of specific rock mass fissility upon the bench height of basalt open pits based upon the analysis of basalt open-pit bench fissility. Methods. Fractural tectonics of basalt open pits was studied experimentally. In addition to the specific fissility, the studies determined both shape and quantity of natural blocks within each bench meter; their geometry in terms of fissure frequency; and nature of changes in the fissure number as well as geometry of the blocks depending upon a bench height. Graphical analysis of the obtained results has helped determine the typical dependencies of fissure number upon the changes in the open-pit bench height. Findings. It has been defined that the specific fissility of basalt benches is distributed irregularly in terms of an open-pit bench height. Field studies, involved three basalt open pits, have made it possible to identify that the 3rd degree polynomial is the most adequate approximation of the specific fissility dependence upon the bench height. Originality. For the first time, the experiments have helped define that rock mass joints a share downward from the smaller to the larger ones following a parabolic law (according to a cubic expression). The obtained regularities help identify the percentage of shares of three sizes for each bench height meter. Practical implications. Estimate of share percentage will make it possible to schedule rationally the drilling and blasting operations while selecting energy efficient parameters of production facilities for further basalt processing.

Advantages of selective grinding using high-pressure grinding rolls combined with air classification

It is well known that the use of high-pressure grinding rolls (HPGR) in crushing circuits improves subsequent power consumption through the output of finer material: the yield of fine fractions in the HPGR product is higher than that in the product of traditional crushers (including third and even fourth stage crushing). It has been established that the use of screens in HPGR circuits is inadvisable and would limit the circuit capacity due to lower friction and the fact that screen performance depends on the size of the finished product. In addition, the use of water (its availability and cost) for spiral classifiers, screens, or hydrocyclones remains a major problem in the industry. The alternative option involving air classification has been used in the cement industry for several decades to separate material fractions in the size range of 0.01–1.0 mm, but has yet to find its way to mineral processing plants. It has been shown that volumetric fracturing in HPGR improves subsequent selective separation. Adequate distribution of the ore components in air classifiers allows the separation boundary to be optimized. The expediency of using HPGR in combination with air classification has been substantiated as it allows, in some cases, to eliminate subsequent ball grinding at industrial plants. This is revolutionizing the ore preparation process. The authors are grateful to Köppern for their research support.The work was carried out with the support of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (project No. 20-55-12002).

Enhancement of chemically bound gold recovery in post-activation heap leaching of refractory ore

This article discusses the main problems connected with heap leaching of chemically bound gold during mining refractory complex ores. It is proposed to prepare refractory ores for heap leaching by electrochemical and photochemical activation of solutions of oxidizing and complexing reagents. The composition of solutions is determined by the mineral composition of the ores. Dispersed and chemically bound gold can occur in various forms in the ores of the sulfide, sulfide–carbonaceous and sulfide–quartz genesis. Therefore, various oxidizing agents should be used when preparing ores for heap leaching. Oxidizing agents actively interact with ore-forming elements that have direct or indirect chemical bonds with clustered gold atoms. Depending on the modes of occurrence of chemically bound dispersed gold, governed by its geochemical associations with the ore-forming minerals, it is proposed to carry out oxidative preparation of refractory ores both at the stage of blasting operations and during pelletizing (agglomeration). Oxidative preparation is implemented with electro-photo-activated solutions with hydroxide-peroxide, sulfuric acid-peroxide, carbonateperoxide, hydroxychloride, sulfuric acid-nitrite-nitrate base. Direct heap leaching of chemically bound gold is proposed to carry out after oxidative treatment with activated solutions. The oxidative treatment includes irrigation of mineral piles with concentrated activated solutions and, then with electrochemically treated water or activated weakly concentrated solution of a complexing agent. Commercial-scale application of heap leaching with oxidation pre-activation in gold ore mining can enable efficient concentration of low-grade difficult ore. In this case, depending on mineral paragenesis of ore and geochemical association of disperse gold, the proposed post-activation heap leaching technology can use process solutions composed of different reagents both at the stage of blasting and during irrigation or pelletizing.

Комбинированные технологии активации минерального сырья

Relevance. The efficiency of using the products of subsoil exploitation is a factor in strengthening the mineral resource base of the mining industry. The success of improving ore preparation technologies is associated with the activation of mineral raw materials in mills, including impact mills – disintegrators. A fundamentally new approach to ore processing technology includes a combination of grinding methods in mills and other activators. The issues of increasing the activity of substances on the basis of combination form an urgent scientific and industrial problem. The aim of the study of the phenomenon of combined activation is to search for the possibility of increasing the level of activation, to ensure the stability of the acquired activity and to establish patterns of relationships between the activation processes and the technological processes of using mineral raw materials. Objects: products of the development of deposits of solid mineral raw materials in various mining sectors of the national economy. Methods: Laboratory, semi-industrial and industrial experiment using improved equipment for the activation of mineral raw materials. Results. The concepts of “mechanical activation” in mills and “activation with large mechanical energy” in a disintegrator are detailed. An assessment is given to the directions of improving the mills. The results of mechanochemical activation of powders oxides in a planetary centrifugal mill “Aktivator-2s” are given. The practice of activating mineral raw materials with a combination of activators of various types is described. It has been established that the efficiency of combining mills depends on the initial size of the crushed material and equipment options are recommended depending on this. It is shown that the combination of drum and vibration mills reduced the energy consumption of the product. The results of the combination and the vibrating mill in the technological chain of the concrete complex are presented. The algorithm for the combined activation of mineral raw materials is illustrated by the example of the technology applied at the mine, which includes grinding, mixing binders, inert aggregates and grout, as well as transporting the concrete mixture to the place of use. As a quantitative indicator of activation, an equivalent of activity or a proportional ratio of the combined components is proposed. The efficiency of using solid mineral raw materials increases when it is prepared in activators.

A case based, combined LCA and S-ROI methodology for sustainable mining in the Suceava County, Romania

LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) is a useful tool in decision-making for most businesses that opt for sustainability and offers the possibility to compare different products, processes, and value chain scenarios, both real and hypothetical. Coupled with S-ROI (Sustainable Return on Investment), the LCA has a great potential in using available data for existing mining sites in the North-East Region of Romania to assess the economic, social and environmental benefits of certain sustainability measures on a local and regional level. The article will explore this approach of combining the two methodologies: LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) and S-ROI (Sustainable Return on Investment), with necessary adjustments according to the characteristics of the local mining activities, to show key investment areas that can improve the value chain of copper exploitation and preparation in the mining perimeter Mănăila. The case of the copper mine in Mănăila offers a great opportunity to apply the current LICYMIN (Life Cycle of Mining) research and to use available Ecoinvent data for the copper ore by comparing the current value chain scenario with a proposed scenario that includes a different location for a mining ore preparation unit, closer to the quarry. The results will give an insight into the potential social and economic impact (the measure can translate into a higher local employment rate, better social stability, lower transportation costs, etc.) as well as the environmental impact (reduction of GHG emission, pollution, and energy efficiency) of the suggested changes.

Phasing out the blast furnace to meet global climate targets

Phasing out the blast furnace to meet global climate targets

Kazmekhanobr's technologies in the field of processing of low-grade gold-bearing ores and technogenic raw materials

The Republic of Kazakhstan has been increasing gold production annually for the last 10–15 years. According to the results of 2019, Kazakhstan ranks 13th in the world in terms of gold production (77 tons), in terms of reserves — 16th in the world (377.5 tons). The article presents information about the innovative developments of Kazmekhanobr in the field of processing of poor goldbearing ores and man-made raw materials. Information on implemented technologies and projects in Kazakhstan for recent years is given. Kazmekhanobr’s deve lopments cover the whole complex of technological stages of processing of poor gold-bearing ores and man-made raw materials by heap leaching technology: ore preparation, leaching process, sor ption extraction of gold from productive solutions, desorption of gold from saturated sorbents and electrolytic extraction of gold from rich eluates. In particular, the company for the first time in Kazakhstan in 1998 developed and implemented pre-pelleting of ore and laying it in a pile leaching stack using a stacker at the mines “Suzdal”, “Mukur”, “Mizek”, “Komarovsky”, etc. It was also developed the highly efficient innovative technology of gold heap leaching from poor gold-bearing ores, complex gold-copper ores and technogenic wastes, which is characterized by low consumption of water and reagents and accordingly low negative load on the environment at the mines “Zhanan”, “Mukur”, “Miyali” “Balazhal”, “Aksu”,“Bestyube”,“Uzboy”, etc. Patents were obtained and a three-stage cascade scheme of sorption extraction of gold by ion exchange resin, original design of sorption columns and binding of columns were introduced, which allowed to maximize the heap leaching process and increase its efficiency, minimize processes of resin pumping processes and, accordingly, the mechanical impact on them, will increase saturation of the resin with gold and reduce the turnover of gold with working solutions at the Zhaltyrbulak, Uzboy, Vasilyevskoye deposits. Innovative processes of highefficiency technology of gold desorption and ion exchange resin regeneration, electrolytic extraction of gold from commodity regenerates have been introduced, in which the duration of gold desorption and resin regeneration together with gold electrolysis does not exceed 18–24 h. According to the projects developed by Kazmekhanobr with the use of innovative technologies, plants for the production of Dore alloy in Ust-Kamenogorsk, Semey and Stepnogorsk, Makmala (Kyrgyzstan) and the Asi gold mining plant (China) were built and successfully operate.

ФЛОТАЦИОННЫЕ РЕАГЕНТЫ ДЛЯ ИЗВЛЕЧЕНИЯ ТОНКОВКРАПЛЕННОГО ЗОЛОТА ИЗ ТРУДНООБОГАТИМЫХ РУД И ТЕХНОГЕННЫХ ПРОДУКТОВ

At the present stage of development of the mineral resource base of precious metals, the wider involvement of refractory ores and technogenic products in the mineral processing is playing a very important role. It is due to these types of mineral resources the main Russian and foreign companies plan to get the increase in the production of gold and other precious metals. Refractory ores are characterized by low content and uneven distribution of valuable components, emulsion dissemination of gold, complex material composition, flotation active silicate and carbonaceous rock components. The main technologies for their processing include combined schemes that provide intensive preliminary preparation of ore, fine and ultrafine grinding. Creation of effective reagents for flotation of fine classes of noble metals, selective depression of gold-free sulfides, like pyrite, pyrrhotite, arsenopyrite, and rock minerals is one of the recognized innovative solutions for intensifying the enrichment process of this type of raw material. The studies performed at IPKON RAS in the framework of the scientific school of Academician V.A. Chanturiya helped to develop and substantiate the novel selective reagents-collectors of dithiocarbamate type (DEDTCm, OPDTC, DBDTC, MDTC) and herbal modifiers that possess complexing properties in relation to noble metals and provide an increase in the recovery of valuable components of gold by 5-7%. A set of analytical methods - scanning electron (LEO 1420VP, Carl Zeiss) and laser microscopy (KEYNCE VK-9700, Shimadzu), X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (ARL ADVANT’X), ICP –MS (Agilent 725 ICP-OES, Agilent Technologies), X-ray diffractometry (DRON-2.0, XRD 7000, Shimadzu), potentiometry, titrimetric analysis, methods of mathematical statistics helped to study the adsorption layer of the reagents on natural minerals and model sulfides with micro- and nanosized gold. Using an original technique for quantitative assessment of the reagent coating by image analysis (SLM), the surface area of the mineral occupied by the reagent was calculated. A method for selective flotation of gold-containing sulfides using OPDTC and oak bark extract has been developed and tested in the separation of the collective gold-arsenic concentrate of the Olympiada deposit. It showed the possibility of obtaining a gold-pyrite concentrate with an arsenic content of less than 2%. The prospect of using plant modifiers for gold recovery during flotation of complex ores has been substantiated.

Increasing the recovery ratio of iron ores in the course of preparation and processing

Iron is the base of modern economy. In Russia, iron reserves are plentiful, with magnetite quartzites forming the core of the country’s ore base. Oxidized ferruginous quartzites are a major source of replenishing mineral resources of Russia. The article studies the material composition and preparation characteristics of four representative samples of oxidized iron ore with different iron content. As the key preparation process, both strong and weak magnetic separation was used, with multi-stage grinding. The possibility to apply fine grinding using IsaMill method was explored. The result is a conceptual technology of comprehensive processing of mature tailings remaining after brown iron ore preparation which enables to obtain iron-containing concentrate suitable for smelting under Romelt process to yield pig iron and slag to be used in aggregates production. The work shows the possibility of obtaining light brown iron oxide pigments from disposal sites of Kamysh-Burun iron ore plant.

ПРЕДСТАВЛЕНИЕ ДРОБИЛЬНО-ИЗМЕЛЬЧИТЕЛЬНОГО КОМПЛЕКСА В ВИДЕ СТРУКТУРЫ С РАСПРЕДЕЛЕННЫМИ ПАРАМЕТРАМИ ДЛЯ АДАПТИВНОГО УПРАВЛЕНИЯ ПРОЦЕССАМИ РУДОПОДГОТОВКИ

The article proposes representation of crushing and grinding complex in form of a system with distributed parameters of the reducing function of the processed raw materials size in order to increase the energy efficiency of entire ore preparation process. Despite the fact that many different automated control systems for domestic and foreign production technological process are now used in the ore preparation processes, there is still a need to solve the problems of optimal control of such objects in order to both reduce energy costs and improve the quality of the final product. In terms of energy consumption, grinding processes are superior to crushing processes, so it is necessary to consider the crushing and grinding complex as a whole to increase the whole process energy efficiency. Since the processes of crushing, grinding and classification are purely random and at any time are characterized by transient probabilities, and the crushing and grinding complex occupies a large area and is geographically distributed in space, it should be considered as a system with distributed parameters of raw material size reduction, recyclable. Redistribution of loads between the individual components of this complex in accordance with the current characteristics of processed ore and the state of process equipment allows to reduce the load on the final stage - it is grinding, which in turn contributes to the overall reduction of energy consumption. The peculiarity of this approach is the need for the formation of spatial-temporal controls on basis of spatially distributed control of the object, the use of appropriate feedback signals and regulators with spatially distributed control effects.

Improving the control system of concentration plants based on express control of dissemination of magnetic minerals

One of the most important issues of the process control system is the quality control of the ore charge by averaging it over the material composition, which will improve the quality and quantity of the processing plant due to the stabilization of the properties of the raw materials. However, there are no methods for express control of the size of grains of productive minerals, which affect the extraction rates. Obtaining operational information on dissemination will increase the control of the technological process of ore preparation due to the operational control of the grinding process. Obtaining operational disseminated information can be achieved by measuring the electrical and magnetic properties of the ore. This article is devoted to express control of dissemination of magnetic minerals based on a comprehensive measurement of the magnetic characteristics of the ore flow. As the research part of the study was conducted within a training period, some remarks concerning educational value of joined research program are expressed in final remarks.

Designs of new operating copper processing plants: process types, equipment selection, industry trends

The article describes the largest operating processing plants for lowgrade copper sulphide ores of our time: 10 plants using the semi-autogenous grinding (SAG) technology and 10 plants using high-pressure grinding rolls (HPGR), with the output of 18 to 100 Mtpa. The unfavorable natural and economic factors are balanced by improved ore preparation and concentration technologies and high-capacity equipment units, combined with cost-saving layout solutions. The ore preparation sector is currently divided between the competing technologies of semi-autogenous grinding and HPGR. The article contains an overview of their advantages and disadvantages. The world’s largest monosection with the capacity of 55.5 Mtpa, that uses the SAG technology, is described. The role of the Drop Weght Test JKSimMet (A×b) parameter in the selection of the ore preparation method and the trend for using HPGR in the processing of strong ores are shown. Examples are provided for the consequences of an inadequate assessment of the feed strength in SAG-based plant designs. Examples of ore preparation process intensification through the use of HPGR in semi-autogenous grinding circuits are also given. The volume of impeller flotation cells installed has reached 600 m3. An overview of the two largest processing plants of our time with the output of 88 and 100 Mtpa of ore is presented. The innovative technical solutions of a newest low-capacity copper plant are highlighted. Based on the results of the overview, a future processing plant is predicted to use ∅12.8–13 m SAG mills, HPGRs with the roll diameter of 3 m, vertical VTM-7000 mills in ore grinding cycles, large fine screens, large-scale impeller flotation cells, and staged SFR and DFR flotation reactors.

Comparing strategies for grinding itabirite iron ores in autogenous and semi-autogenous pilot-scale mills

High grade iron ore resources are becoming depleted in Brazil, with relatively low-grade ores requiring more intensive comminution for proper liberation of iron minerals, followed by upgrading. Comminution circuits that have been frequently used in the Brazilian iron ore industry in preparation of high-grade iron ores consist of multiple crushing stages followed by ball milling and are known for being highly complex and capital-intensive installations. This work assesses the potential suitability of autogenous (AG) and semi-autogenous (SAG) milling through an extensive pilot plant campaign carried out with itabirite iron ores. The effects of ore type, feed size distribution, circuit configuration (open or closed-circuit and two-stage or single-stage), mode of grinding (AG or SAG), ball load, use of pebble crushing as well as of full secondary pre-crushing have been investigated. The results demonstrate both the technical feasibility and energy efficiency of such an alternative for itabirite comminution circuits.

Горно-геологические и физико-химические показатели, определяющие успешность применения блочного подземного и кучного выщелачивания

The success of the physico-chemical technologies’ application in the development of ore deposits, such as underground and heap leaching, depends on the petrographic and mineral composition of the ores and their host rocks, type of reagents leaching the useful component, technology of ore preparation and irrigation modes of lumpy ores. The efficiency of leaching of uranium-ore minerals is determined by the physico-chemical laws of the interaction of reagents with the ore material. In the course of the research, the relationship between the silica content in the rocks containing mineralization and their physical and mechanical properties was established. This makes it possible, knowing the type of rocks, to predict the conditions of ore preparation by drilling and blasting to obtain the optimal piece size for leaching. In addition, the influence of the ore texture on the leaching efficiency was proved experimentally. Previous researchers found that the rate of conversion of uranium to the mobile state during leaching depends on the rate of penetration of the leaching reagent into the piece, displayed by the effective diffusion coefficient (Kef). The analysis of mining and geological information made it possible to establish the relationship between the Kef and the type of host rocks through the SiO2 content and the type of uranium minerals through the uranium content. The obtained knowledge makes it possible to predict favorable conditions for the use of physico-chemical geotechnologies in the development of rock-poor uranium deposits