International Symposium on Uranium Raw Material for the Nuclear Fuel Cycle: Exploration, Mining, Production, Supply and Demand, Economics and Environmental Issues - IAEA CN-216

Thorium and uranium separation from Rare Earth complex minerals in Turkey

26 Jun 2014, 11:10

25m

VIC, M1 (Vienna)

Oral Thorium and rare-earth element (REE)-associated resources Thorium and rare-earth element-associated resources

Speaker

Dr Resat Uzmen (AMR Metalurji Ltd.)

Description

In the southern part of Turkey there is a complex minerals deposit which contains rare earth elements (REEs), Ti, Zr, U and thorium. Physical beneficiation operations and hydrometallurgical processes allow to the separation of U along with Zr and Ti. The obtained [REEs and Th] oxalate concentrate is submitted to metathesis in order to convert oxalates to their respective hydroxides. The hdroxides cake is dissolved in acid and thorium is separated firstly by pH regulation, then peroxide precipitation is applied for the final purification of thorium.