Heterogeneous modeling of the uranium in situ recovery: Kinetic versus solubility control
Résumé
The uranium in situ recovery (ISR) is a mining technique, which involves injecting an acid or alkaline solution, into the deposit to selectively dissolve uranium. The solution enriched in uranium is pumped out and processed. Once the uranium is removed, reagent is added to the solution, which is then reinjected. This method is particularly suited to deep and low-grade deposits located in confined aquifers. In this work, we focus on the case of the Tortkuduk deposit, in Kazakhstan, where the reagent is sulfuric acid. The main objective of this work is to understand how the uranium production can be increased while the sulfuric acid consumption is maintained as low as possible. It requires devising and validating an ISR phenomenological model, using all available tools: experiments, production data and numerical simulation, from 1D homogeneous to 3D heterogeneous models.
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