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Uranium bioleaching from low-grade carbonaceous-siliceous-argillaceous type uranium ore using an indigenous Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans

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Abstract

We evaluated the effectiveness of bioleaching uranium from a low-grade carbonaceous-siliceous-argillaceous type uranium ore using an indigenous iron-oxidizing bacteria, Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, isolated from local uranium ore. The effects of initial acidity, pulp density and ferrous ion concentration of the feed solution were investigated. The uranium (U3O8) content was 0.036% by weight. Using uranium ore acidified leachate as medium with initial ferrous ion concentrations of 3 g/L, pH 1.7 and pulp density of 20% as optimal conditions, the maximum rate of dissolved uranium recovery was 85.14%. This approach is thus, suitable for recovering uranium from low-grade CSA ore using bacterial leaching.

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by the National Nature Science Foundation of China (51564001, 41772266, 51764001), the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangxi Province (20161BAB213091, 20171BAB213019) and Project of State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Nuclear Resources and Environment Fundamental Science (Z1602).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Environmental Science and Engineering, School of Metallurgy and Environment, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, Hunan, China

    Xuegang Wang, Liyuan Chai, Xiaobo Min, Yong Ke & Yanjie Liang

  2. State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Nuclear Resources and Environment, East China University of Technology, Nanchang, 330013, Jiangxi, China

    Xuegang Wang, Peng Li, Yajie Liu, Zhanxue Sun, Yadan Guo & Zhihong Zheng

  3. Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Control and Treatment of Heavy Metal Pollution, Changsha, 410083, Hunan, China

    Liyuan Chai, Xiaobo Min, Yong Ke & Yanjie Liang

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  1. Xuegang Wang
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  2. Peng Li
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  3. Yajie Liu
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  4. Zhanxue Sun
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  5. Liyuan Chai
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  6. Xiaobo Min
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  7. Yadan Guo
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  8. Zhihong Zheng
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  9. Yong Ke
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  10. Yanjie Liang
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Correspondence to Xiaobo Min.

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Wang, X., Li, P., Liu, Y. et al. Uranium bioleaching from low-grade carbonaceous-siliceous-argillaceous type uranium ore using an indigenous Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 317, 1033–1040 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-018-5957-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-018-5957-3

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