Column leaching device and method for electric field reinforced uranium ore leaching

Abstract

The invention discloses a column leaching device and method for electric field reinforced uranium ore leaching, the column leaching device comprises an electric field reinforced high-pressure leaching column and an ion exchange device, two openings are formed in an insulating cylinder in the electric field reinforced high-pressure leaching column at intervals, and the two openings are connected with openings located in the two ends of the ion exchange device through guide pipes respectively; according to the electric field enhanced uranium ore column leaching device, the mode that the electric field enhanced high-pressure leaching column is combined with the ion exchange device is adopted, a directional electric field is formed in the leaching column, the electric field is maintained on the basis of the salt bridge principle, and then the purpose of electric field enhanced uranium ore column leaching is achieved; the device overcomes the defects that an existing column leaching device is single in function and cannot undertake an electric field enhanced leaching experiment, has the advantages of being easy and convenient to operate and reliable in performance, and is high in practicability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of mining and metallurgy, and specifically relates to a column leaching device and method for electric field-enhanced uranium ore leaching. Background Technology

[0002] Uranium column leaching experiments, as an important laboratory method for uranium leaching research, have long provided technical guidance for actual in-situ leaching production. Currently, the application of an external electric field as a novel approach to enhance in-situ leaching uranium mining has great application potential. However, the feasibility of new schemes often requires verification through column leaching experiments, but current uranium column leaching devices are simple in structure and have limited functionality, lacking electric field enhancement capabilities, and therefore cannot support these experiments. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the first objective of this invention is to provide a column leaching apparatus for electric field-enhanced uranium ore leaching.

[0004] The second objective of this invention is to provide a method for uranium ore leaching enhanced by an electric field.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0006] This invention provides a column leaching apparatus for electric field enhanced uranium ore leaching, comprising an electric field enhanced high-pressure leaching column and an ion exchange device;

[0007] The electric field enhanced high-voltage leaching column includes an insulating cylinder, two insulating plugs, and two electrode plates. The insulating cylinder is a hollow cylindrical structure with openings at both ends. Insulating plugs are inserted into both ends of the insulating cylinder. The insulating plugs have grooves on the end faces inside the insulating cylinder, and a first channel and a second channel extending to the outside are provided along the bottom surface of the grooves.

[0008] The electrode plate is disposed at the bottom of the groove. A conductive rod is provided in the first channel and connected to the electrode plate. The conductive rod is connected to an external power source to introduce an electric field. A first metal liquid guide tube is provided in the second channel. The first metal liquid guide tube contacts the electrode plate, passes through the electrode plate, and is connected to the second metal liquid guide tube through an adapter. An insulating pressure block is also provided in the groove to fill the cavity of the groove.

[0009] The insulating cylinder of the electric field-enhanced high-pressure leaching column has two openings at intervals, which are connected to openings at both ends of an ion exchange device via conduits. The ion exchange device contains an electrolyte solution.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment, the electric field-enhanced high-voltage leaching column further includes a pressure cap, and an insulating plug is fixed to both ends of the insulating cylinder by the pressure cap. The pressure cap and the insulating plug are embedded into an integrated structure. The insulating plug is composed of a first cylindrical section and a second cylindrical section. The first cylindrical section is located inside the insulating cylinder, and its outer circumferential surface forms a sealing fit with the inner wall of the cylinder. The second cylindrical section passes through the opening in the center of the pressure cap and extends to the outside of the pressure cap. The groove in the insulating plug is located in the second cylindrical section.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the groove of the insulating plug is provided with a threaded hole, and the electrode plate is provided with a through hole, which is connected to the insulating plug by bolts.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the ion exchange device includes a tank and two end caps; the tank is a hollow cylindrical structure with openings at both ends, and the end caps are fixed to both ends of the tank. The end caps are provided with openings for connecting to two openings spaced apart in the middle of the insulating cylinder via conduits.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, the ion exchange device further includes two permeable pressure plates and two pressure rings. The permeable pressure plates are fixed to the inner side of the end cap of the ion exchange device by the pressure rings and connected to the tank body by bolts.

[0014] By installing a permeable pressure plate inside the ion exchange device, electrolyte ions can be effectively allowed to pass through, preventing solid precipitates from clogging the conduit. At the same time, the pressure inside the tank can be maintained, preventing convection between the liquid in the ion exchange tank and the high-pressure leaching column. This allows the ion exchange device to function only as a salt-like bridge, maximizing the independence of the uranium ore column leaching process.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment, the tank of the ion exchange device is provided with a through-hole, and the outside of the through-hole is threaded for installing a pipe connector. The pipe connector is connected to an external pressurizing device via a conduit. By communicating with the external pressurizing device, the internal pressure of the ion exchange device can be controlled.

[0016] This invention also provides a method for field-enhanced uranium leaching. Using the aforementioned column leaching apparatus, the ore is placed in the insulating cylinder of a field-enhanced high-voltage leaching column. Insulating plugs are fixed to both ends of the insulating cylinder using pressure caps. Then, a first metal liquid guide tube in one end of the insulating plug is connected to an external liquid injection device via a conduit, and a guide rod is connected to the negative terminal of a power supply. Conversely, a first metal liquid guide tube in the other end of the insulating plug is connected to an external liquid storage device via a conduit, and a guide rod is connected to the positive terminal of a power supply. An electrolyte solution is placed inside an ion exchange device. Two openings spaced apart in the middle of the insulating cylinder are connected to the two sides of the ion exchange device. The through-hole in the ion exchange device tank is connected to an external pressurizing device via a conduit. Then, leaching solution is injected into the insulating cylinder, and the power supply is turned on to perform field-enhanced uranium leaching.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment, the ion exchange device is filled with a strong acid, strong base, salt, or electrolyte solution.

[0018] In a further preferred embodiment, the strong acid-strong base salt electrolyte solution is selected from at least one of sodium chloride, potassium chloride, sodium nitrate, and potassium nitrate.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment, the electrolyte solution in the ion exchange device must be kept in a saturated precipitation state.

[0020] In a preferred embodiment, the leaching solution is a neutral CO2+O2 leaching system or an acidic leaching system.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment, during the electric field-enhanced uranium ore leaching process, the controlled voltage is 10~300V, and the negative electrode current density is 5~30A / m. 2 The positive electrode current density is 5~30A / m 2 .

[0022] In a preferred embodiment, during the electric field-enhanced uranium ore leaching process, the pressure inside the ion exchange device is greater than the pressure inside the electric field-enhanced high-pressure leaching column.

[0023] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0024] (1) In the column leaching apparatus for field-enhanced uranium ore leaching proposed in this invention, due to the effect of the directional electric field, the anions and cations in the leaching solution within the field-enhanced high-pressure leaching column will migrate in opposite directions, forming an internal electric field opposite to the applied electric field. Over time, the intensity of the internal electric field will gradually increase to approximately equal to the intensity of the applied electric field, meaning that the electric field intensity within the high-pressure leaching column will continuously weaken. The ion exchange device connected to the field-enhanced high-pressure leaching column can provide a salt-like bridge effect, eliminating the concentration difference between anions and cations within the leaching column, thereby achieving the goal of maintaining the electric field intensity within the column.

[0025] (2) The electric field enhanced high-voltage leaching column proposed in this invention is treated with insulation, and both the plug and the column are made of insulating materials. The electrode structure is integrated with the plug, and the guide rod is placed in the through hole of the plug. One end is connected to the electrode and the other end is connected to the power supply. The current path is strictly controlled, and a specific electric field can be created in the column according to the experimental requirements, which greatly avoids the risk of electric shock.

[0026] (3) The ion exchange device proposed in this invention is equipped with a permeable pressure plate, which can effectively allow electrolyte ions to pass through and prevent solid precipitates from clogging the conduit. At the same time, it can maintain the pressure inside the tank and prevent convection between the liquid in the ion exchange tank and the high-pressure leaching column, so that the ion exchange device can only play the role of a salt bridge and maintain the independence of the uranium ore column leaching process to the greatest extent.

[0027] (4) The electric field enhanced uranium ore column leaching method proposed in this invention can simultaneously achieve the two objectives of uranium ore column leaching and electric field enhancement, solve the technical problem of electric field enhanced uranium ore leaching, and is easy to operate and highly practical. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electric field enhanced high-voltage leaching column proposed in this invention; in the figure, 1 is the pressure cap; 2 is the insulating plug; 3 is the electrode plate; 4 is the insulating cylinder; 5 is the first pipe joint; and 6 is the first through hole.

[0029] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the ion exchange device proposed in this invention; in the figure, 7 is the end cap; 8 is the tank body; 9 is the second pipe joint; 10 is the ventilated pressure plate; 11 is the pressure ring; and 12 is the through hole.

[0030] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the insulating plug of the electric field enhanced high-voltage leaching column proposed in this invention. In the figure, 2 is the insulating plug; 3 is the electrode plate; 13 is the insulating pressure block; 14 is the second channel; 15 is the first channel; and 16 is the second metal liquid guide tube.

[0031] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a column leaching device and implementation method for electric field-enhanced uranium ore leaching proposed in this invention. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The technical applications and effects of this invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the embodiments. The following embodiments are only some of the embodiments related to this invention, and other related cases that have not been conceived innovatively are all within the scope of this invention.

[0033] Example

[0034] This embodiment provides a column leaching apparatus for uranium ore leaching enhanced by electric field, including an electric field enhanced high-pressure leaching column and an ion exchange device; respectively as follows: Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the electric field-enhanced high-voltage leaching column includes an insulating cylinder, two insulating plugs, and two electrode plates. The insulating cylinder is a hollow cylindrical structure open at both ends, with insulating plugs inserted into both ends of the insulating cylinder. Figure 3 The insulating plug has a groove on the end face inside the insulating cylinder, and a first channel and a second channel extending to the outside are provided along the bottom surface of the groove.

[0035] The electrode plate is disposed at the bottom of the groove. A conductive rod is provided in the first channel and connected to the electrode plate. The conductive rod is connected to an external power source to introduce an electric field. A first metal liquid guide tube is provided in the second channel. The first metal liquid guide tube contacts the electrode plate, passes through the electrode plate, and is connected to the second metal liquid guide tube through an adapter. An insulating pressure block is also provided in the groove to fill the cavity of the groove.

[0036] The insulating cylinder of the electric field-enhanced high-pressure leaching column has two openings at intervals, which are connected to openings at both ends of an ion exchange device via conduits. The ion exchange device contains an electrolyte solution.

[0037] Specifically, the electric field enhanced high-voltage leaching column also includes a pressure cap, and an insulating plug is fixed to both ends of the insulating cylinder by the pressure cap. The pressure cap and the insulating plug are embedded into an integrated structure. The insulating plug is composed of a first cylindrical section and a second cylindrical section. The first cylindrical section is located inside the insulating cylinder, and its outer circumferential surface forms a sealing fit with the inner wall of the cylinder. The second cylindrical section passes through the opening in the center of the pressure cap and extends to the outside of the pressure cap. The groove in the insulating plug is located in the second cylindrical section.

[0038] Specifically, the groove of the insulating plug is provided with a threaded hole, and the electrode plate is provided with a through hole, which is connected to the insulating plug by bolts.

[0039] Specifically, the ion exchange device includes a tank and two end caps; the tank is a hollow cylindrical structure with openings at both ends, and the end caps are fixed to both ends of the tank. The end caps are provided with openings for connecting to two openings spaced apart in the middle of the insulating cylinder through conduits.

[0040] Specifically, the ion exchange device also includes two permeable pressure plates and two pressure rings. The permeable pressure plates are fixed to the inside of the end cap of the ion exchange device by the pressure rings and connected to the tank body by bolts.

[0041] Specifically, the tank of the ion exchange device is provided with a through hole, and the outside of the through hole is provided with a thread for installing a pipe joint. The pipe joint is connected to an external pressurization device through a conduit.

[0042] This embodiment also proposes an electric field-enhanced column leaching method for uranium ore, using the aforementioned column leaching apparatus. The main steps include:

[0043] Step 1: Fill the high-voltage leaching column with minerals to be leached (specific composition as shown in Table 1), install the electrode inside the insulating plug and check its connectivity with the guide rod. Then, connect the first metal liquid guide tube in the insulating plug at one end to the external liquid injection device through a conduit, and connect the guide rod to the negative terminal of the power supply; while the first metal liquid guide tube in the insulating plug at the other end is connected to the external liquid storage device through a conduit, and the guide rod is connected to the positive terminal of the power supply.

[0044] Step 2: Fill the ion exchange device with a saturated electrolyte solution in a precipitation state, install the permeable pressure plate to the inside of the end cap through the pressure ring, and connect the pipe joint on the tank to the external pressurization device through the conduit.

[0045] Step 3: Use conduits to connect the through holes in the center of the end caps on both sides of the ion exchange device to the two pipe joints on the insulating cylinder of the electric field enhanced high-pressure leaching column. Turn on the power and simultaneously start the external liquid injection device and the external pressurization device to keep the internal pressure of the ion exchange device slightly greater than the internal pressure of the electric field enhanced high-pressure leaching column, so as to achieve the purpose of electric field enhanced uranium ore column leaching experiment.

[0046] When the leaching solution is mineral water mixed with CO2 and O2 in a 1:1 ratio, the composition of the mineral water is shown in Table 2, the electrolyte solution is a saturated potassium chloride solution, and the voltage is controlled at 200V, the changes in leaching time and uranium concentration are shown in Table 3, and the uranium concentration can reach up to 59.8 ppm.

[0047]

[0048]

[0049] Comparative Example

[0050] Other conditions were the same as in the previous example, but no electric field was applied. The changes in leaching time and uranium concentration are shown in Table 3. Compared with applying a 200V electric field, the uranium concentration obtained without applying an electric field was significantly reduced.

[0051]

[0052] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention, based on the device and implementation concept provided by the present invention, should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A column leaching apparatus for electric field-enhanced uranium ore leaching, characterized in that: This includes electric field-enhanced high-pressure leaching columns and ion exchange devices; The electric field enhanced high-voltage leaching column includes an insulating cylinder, two insulating plugs, and two electrode plates. The insulating cylinder is a hollow cylindrical structure with openings at both ends. Insulating plugs are inserted into both ends of the insulating cylinder. The insulating plugs have grooves on the end faces inside the insulating cylinder, and a first channel and a second channel extending to the outside are provided along the bottom surface of the grooves. The electrode plate is disposed at the bottom of the groove. A conductive rod is provided in the first channel and connected to the electrode plate. The conductive rod is connected to an external power source to introduce an electric field. A first metal liquid guide tube is provided in the second channel. The first metal liquid guide tube contacts the electrode plate, passes through the electrode plate, and is connected to the second metal liquid guide tube through an adapter. An insulating pressure block is also provided in the groove to fill the cavity of the groove. The insulating cylinder of the electric field-enhanced high-pressure leaching column has two openings at intervals, which are connected to openings at both ends of an ion exchange device via conduits. The ion exchange device contains an electrolyte solution.

2. The column leaching apparatus for electric field-enhanced uranium ore leaching according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electric field enhanced high-voltage leaching column also includes a pressure cap, and the insulating plug is fixed to both ends of the insulating cylinder by the pressure cap. The pressure cap and the insulating plug are embedded into an integrated structure. The insulating plug is composed of a first cylindrical section and a second cylindrical section. The first cylindrical section is located inside the insulating cylinder, and its outer circumference forms a sealing fit with the inner wall of the cylinder. The second cylindrical section passes through the opening in the center of the pressure cap and extends to the outside of the pressure cap. The groove in the insulating plug is located in the second cylindrical section.

3. The column leaching apparatus for electric field-enhanced uranium ore leaching according to claim 1, characterized in that: The insulating plug has a threaded hole in its groove, and the electrode plate has a through hole, which is connected to the insulating plug by bolts.

4. A column leaching apparatus for electric field-enhanced uranium ore leaching according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ion exchange device includes a tank and two end caps; the tank is a hollow cylindrical structure with openings at both ends, and the end caps are fixed to both ends of the tank. The end caps are provided with openings for connecting to two openings spaced apart in the middle of the insulating cylinder through conduits.

5. A column leaching apparatus for electric field-enhanced uranium ore leaching according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ion exchange device also includes two permeable pressure plates and two pressure rings. The permeable pressure plates are fixed to the inside of the end cap of the ion exchange device by the pressure rings and are connected to the tank body by bolts.

6. A column leaching apparatus for electric field-enhanced uranium ore leaching according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tank of the ion exchange device is provided with a through hole, and the outside of the through hole is threaded for installing a pipe joint. The pipe joint is connected to an external pressurization device through a conduit.

7. A method for electric field-enhanced uranium ore leaching, characterized in that, Using the column leaching apparatus according to any one of claims 1-6, the ore is placed in the insulating cylinder of an electric field-enhanced high-pressure leaching column. Insulating plugs are fixed to both ends of the insulating cylinder using pressure caps. The first metal liquid guide tube in one end of the insulating plug is connected to an external liquid injection device via a conduit, and the guide rod is connected to the negative terminal of the power supply. The first metal liquid guide tube in the other end of the insulating plug is connected to an external liquid storage device via a conduit, and the guide rod is connected to the positive terminal of the power supply. An electrolyte solution is filled into the ion exchange device. Two openings spaced apart in the middle of the insulating cylinder are connected to the two sides of the ion exchange device. The through-hole in the ion exchange device tank is connected to an external pressurizing device via a conduit. Leaching solution is then injected into the insulating cylinder, and the power supply is turned on to perform electric field-enhanced uranium ore leaching.

8. The method for electric field-enhanced uranium ore leaching according to claim 7, characterized in that: The ion exchange device is filled with a medium-strong acid, strong base, salt, and electrolyte solution. The electrolyte solution in the ion exchange device needs to be kept in a saturated precipitation state.

9. The method for electric field-enhanced uranium ore leaching according to claim 7, characterized in that: The leaching solution adopts a neutral CO2+O2 leaching system or an acidic leaching system.

10. The method for electric field-enhanced uranium ore leaching according to claim 7, characterized in that: During the electric field-enhanced uranium leaching process, the controlled voltage is 10~60V, and the negative electrode current density is 10~30A / m. 2 The positive electrode current density is 5~20A / m 2 , During the electric field-enhanced uranium leaching process, the pressure inside the ion exchange device is greater than the pressure inside the electric field-enhanced high-pressure leaching column.

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