The leaching kinetics of brannerite ore in sulfate solutions with iron(III)

Abstract

A kinetic study of the leaching of powdered brannerite ore by sulfuric acid has been investigated. The effects of stirring speed ranging from 100 to 1,000 min -1, particle size ranging from 20 to 120 μm, concentration of Fe(III) ranging from 0.0025 to 0.20 M, acid concentration ranging from 0.1 to 2.0 M and temperature ranging from 15 to 90 °C on uranium dissolution are reported. The dissolution rate was founded to be significantly influenced by the temperature and concentration of the acid in solution. The experimental data for the dissolution rates of uranium have been analyzed with the shrinking-core model for reaction control. The apparent activation energy for the dissolution of uranium has been evaluated using the Arrhenius expression. © 2012 Akadémiai Kiadó.