Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Column leaching of uranium ore with fungal metabolic products and uranium recovery by ion exchange

  • Published:
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

To verifying the feasibility of uranium recovery with fungal metabolic products in large-scale applications, column leaching and ion exchange of uranium was carried out. The uranium recovery reached 81.76 % in 14 days. The ion exchange curve for the leach solution obtained with the metabolic products of Aspergillus niger was in the shape of a wave. The elution curve was similar to that of leaching with H2SO4. The results indicate that leaching with the metabolic products of A. niger is a promising and environmentally friendly method for exploitation of low grade uranium ores in large-scale applications.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Maisa MA, Ibrahim EE, Mohamed GE, Abdel SMS, Mona ST, Nilly AK (2014) Effect of mineral constituents in the bioleaching of uranium from uraniferous sedimentary rock samples, Southwestern Sinai, Egypt. J Environ Radioact 134:76–82

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Debora MO, Luis GSS, Gregory JO, Susan BO (2014) Acid leaching of a copper ore by sulphur-oxidizing microorganisms. Hydrometallurgy 147–148:223–227

    Google Scholar 

  3. Feng SS, Yang HL, Zhan X, Wang W (2014) Novel integration strategy for enhancing chalcopyrite bioleaching by Acidithiobacillus sp. in a 7-L fermenter. Bioresour Technol 161:371–378

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Sina G, Zohreh B, Hadi A, Marzie M, Ata A (2014) Bioleaching of high grade Zn–Pb bearing ore by mixed moderate thermophilic microorganisms. Sep Purif Technol 136:241–249

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. du Preez JGH (1989) A Review of the industrial processes involving uranium-from the ore to the reactor. Radiat Prot Dosim 26:7–13

    Google Scholar 

  6. Fazzini RAB, Levican G, Parada P (2011) Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans secretome containing a newly described lipoprotein Licanantase enhances chalcopyrite bioleaching rate. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 89:771–780

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Ilyas S, Chi RA, Bhatti HN, Bhatti IA, Ghauri MA (2012) Column bioleaching of low grade mining ores containing high level of smithsonite, talc, sphaerocobaltite and azurite. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 35:433–440

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Ding DX, Liu YL, Li GY, Hu N, Wang YD (2012) Two stage column leaching of uranium from uraninite ore. Adv Sci Lett 5:96–100

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Mishra A, Pradhan N, Kar RN, Sukla LB, Mishra BK (2009) Microbial recovery of uranium using native fungal strains. Hydrometallurgy 95:175–177

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Hefnawy MA, El-said M, Hussein M, Amin MA (2002) Fungal leaching of uranium from its geological ores in Alloga Area, West Central Sinai, Egypt. J Biol Sci 2:346–350

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Desouky OA, El-Mougith AA, Hassanien WA, Awadalla GS, Hussien SS (2011) Extraction of some strategic elements from thorium-uranium concentrate using bioproducts of Aspergillus ficuum and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Arab J Chem. doi:10.1016/j.arabjc.2011.08.010

    Google Scholar 

  12. Saqib M, Claire SJ, David LP, Keith AM, Ping L, Karen SG (2013) Fungi outcompete bacteria under increased uranium concentration in culture media. J Environ Radioact 120:39–44

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Mulligan CN, Kamali M, Gibbs BF (2004) Bioleaching of heavy metals from a low-grade mining ore using Aspergillus niger. J Hazard Mater 110:77–84

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Ilyas S, Chi RA, Lee JC, Bhatti HN (2012) One step metal bioleaching of sulphide ore with low concentration of arsenic by Aspergillus Niger and Taguchi orthogonal array optimization. Chin J Chem Eng 20:923–929

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Ilyas S, Sarwar S, Bhatti HN (2012) Effect of organic acids produced by Penicillium notatum on the extraction of metals ions from Brown Shale. J Chem Soc Pakistan 34:1040–1047

    Google Scholar 

  16. Shen ZQ, Zheng YF, Li QZ, Zhong ML, Gu DX (1996) Study on analytical method of uranium (IV) and uranium (VI) in uranium ores and uranium-bearing rocks. Uranium Geol 12:48–56

    Google Scholar 

  17. International Atomic Energy Agency (1990) IAEA’s Division of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Managment. Technical reports series No. 313: Manual on laboratory testing for uranium ore processing, first ed. International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna

  18. Li WC, Victor DM, Chakrabarti CL (1980) Effect of pH and uranium concentration on interaction of uranium(VI) and uranium(IV) with organic ligands in aqueous solutions. Anal Chem 52:520–523

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Suzuki Y, Tanaka K, Kozai N, Ohnuki T (2010) Effects of citrate, NTA, and EDTA on the reduction of U(VI) by Shewanella putrefaciens. Geomicrobiol J 27:245–250

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Yin SH, Wu AX, Hu KJ, Wang HJ (2011) Solute transportation mechanism of heap leaching and its influencing factors. J Cent South Univ Technol 42:1092–1098

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Hunan Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 10JJ2033, 13JJ3077), Scientific Research Fund of Hunan Provincial Education Department (Grant No. 13A083) and Science and Technology Project in Hengyang (Grant No. 2013KJ21).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Discipline Laboratory for National Defense for Biotechnology in Uranium Mining and Hydrometallurgy, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001, Hunan, People’s Republic of China

    Yong-Dong Wang, Guang-Yue Li, De-Xin Ding, Zhen-Yuan Zhang, Jie Chen, Nan Hu & Le Li

Authors
  1. Yong-Dong Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Guang-Yue Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. De-Xin Ding
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Zhen-Yuan Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Jie Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Nan Hu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Le Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Guang-Yue Li or De-Xin Ding.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Wang, YD., Li, GY., Ding, DX. et al. Column leaching of uranium ore with fungal metabolic products and uranium recovery by ion exchange. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 304, 1139–1144 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-015-3957-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-015-3957-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation