An innovative hydrometallurgical process flowsheet comprising of ‘oxidative alkaline pressure leaching–counter-current filtration–direct precipitation–reagent regeneration cum recycle’ was developed for effective recovery of the uranium values from a low-grade dolostone hosted stratabound type uranium ore deposit in Southern Cuddapah basin of India. Many challenges inherent in the ore like: lean-tenor (U3O8 about 0·04%), absence of discrete uranium phases, distribution of majority of uranium values (about 90% by weight) as ultra-fine dissemination in carbonate matrix and presence of reactive sulphide minerals, were converted into opportunities leading to establishment of a process plant after elaborate laboratory and pilot-plant investigations. This paper discusses the results of the laboratory and pilot-plant investigations carried out for development of the process flowsheet.
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