Uranium Oxide Production at

Rössing Uranium
A process overview
Summary of the Rössing Process

• Single product - U3O8

• Low grade deposit - 0.340kg/t U3O8
• Conventional shovel truck open pit.
• Sulphuric acid leach process
• Product is sold forward on long term
contracts
Key Metallurgical Parameters

• U3O8 grade
• Acid consumption rate (Calc Index)
• Settling characteristics
• Geological make-up (Ore Type)
 Hauling
• Haulpak 730E
• Truck Capacity = 180 tonnes
• Employ Trolley Assist
–1200 - 1400 volts DC
– 4 km of trolley line
– Save N$ 0.35/tonne
– Fuel Consumption
365 l/hr -> 20 l/hr
Processing Plant
 RUN OF MINE ORE
PRIMARY CRUSHER S

SECONDARY CRUSHERS

LEACHING FINE CRUSHING

ACID +
TWO - STAGE
SCREENING
TERTIARY CRUSHERS
Reduction
Conarc Dust

FERRIC QUARTERNARY
REACTORS CRUSHERS

RODMILLS

ACID
LEACH
TANKS Extraction
CYCLONES
OXIDANTS THICKENERS

TAILINGS SANDS/SLIMES
ROTOSCOOPS
SEPARATION
PREGNANT SOLUTION

Recovery
COMBINED TAILINGS
BARREN SOLUTION
TO DAM BARREN SOLUTION

RECOVERY SOLVENT AMMONIUM HYDROXIDE

EXTRACTION

FILTRATION
AMMONIA GAS
CALCINING
PRECIPITATION

DRUMMED
URANIUM OXIDE
 Primary Crushers
Operating Parameters:
• Two Primary Crushers fed with
run off mine material to
produce product size of less
than 155mm
• Crushing Rate 2500-2600tph
• Crusher make is the Osborn
Gyratory (54”/74”)
• Crusher product is fed onto a
Coarse Ore stock pile with
capacity of 250 000 tonnes
 Pre-Screening Plant

• Removes the already fine material that is

less than 15 mm
• Removes approximately 30% of material
to Fine Ore Stockpile
• Consists out of 1 set of scalping grizzly
screens and 1 set of banana screens.
• Commissioned - 1999
Fine Crushing Plant
 Fine Crushing Plant
• Plant capacity of 2300 tph • Four tertiary crushers
• Closed circuit plant • Six quaternary screens
• Two secondary crushers • Two quaternary crushers
• Four tertiary screens • Product size = -17 mm
 Rodmills
• Four rod-mills in parallel
• Feed rate = 560 tph / mill
• Open circuit grinding
• Wet grinding (using
recycled solution)
• Product size 30% +850
microns/20 mesh
• Product size D80 is 1.1mm
 Leach Process
• Sulphuric acid leaching
• 2 Modules
• Six leach tanks per module
• Tank capacity
– 1 Small mixing tank = 290 m3
– 5 Large tanks = 1450 m3
• Retention time 8 - 9 hours
• Leach temperature 35 °C
Mineral Composition Leach Feed
• Uranium bearing minerals:
uranium at Rössing occurs in the form of
uraninite, uranophane and betafite and is
found in alaskite
• Gangue minerals:
calcite (marble) makes up a very small
proportion of the ore and is the major
consumer of acid in Rössing ore
 Factors That Influence the Rate of
Dissolving Uranium From Rössing Ore

Controllable leach parameters.

1. Grind (30% +20Mesh).
2. Reagent Concentrations
- Acid & Oxidants
IRON ADDITION
(Slurried Conarc)
MANGANESE
DIOXIDE SULPHURIC ACID Leach Process
REACTOR

RETURN DAM
SOLUTION

MIXING TANK

RODMILL 3
DISCHARGE 4
5
CONTROL TANK 6
LEACH
DISCHARGE
Washing Circuit
 Washing Circuit
• Solid liquid separation process
–Cyclones
–Roto-scoops
–Thickeners
• Product solution contains uranium in
a sulphate form (Uranyl Sulphate)
• Concentration of pregnant solution is
0.180 g/l (uranium)
 Continuous Ion Exchange
• Concentration stage
• Adsorption process (contacting vessels)
• Ionic resin beads
• Elution process (eluting columns)
• Acidic solution (10% acid)
• Concentrated Eluate is Uranyl sulphate
• Product solution 4 - 5 g/l (uranium)
 Solvent Extraction
• Concentration and Purification stage
• Mixer settler units
• Liquid-liquid ion exchange process
• Organic tertiary amine is used as Extractant
• Ammonium sulphate is used as stripping
medium
• Product solution is uranyl sulphate
• Concentration of uranium in product:13-15 g/l
 Final Product Recovery

• Optimum precipitation takes place at pH 7.3

• Ammonia is used to raise pH
• Ammonium di-uranate is precipitated
• De-watering process – thickener drum filters
• Roasting process at 830°C
• Product quality is more than 98% U3O8
 RUN OF MINE ORE
PRIMARY CRUSHER S

SECONDARY CRUSHERS

LEACHING FINE CRUSHING

ACID +
TWO - STAGE
SCREENING
TERTIARY CRUSHERS
Reduction
Conarc Dust

FERRIC QUARTERNARY
REACTORS CRUSHERS

RODMILLS

ACID
LEACH
TANKS Extraction
CYCLONES
OXIDANTS THICKENERS

TAILINGS SANDS/SLIMES
ROTOSCOOPS
SEPARATION
PREGNANT SOLUTION

Recovery
COMBINED TAILINGS
BARREN SOLUTION
TO DAM BARREN SOLUTION

RECOVERY SOLVENT AMMONIUM HYDROXIDE

EXTRACTION

FILTRATION
AMMONIA GAS
CALCINING
PRECIPITATION

DRUMMED
URANIUM OXIDE
Questions ?
 Roto-scoops
OVERFLOW TO
THICKENER CIRCUIT

LEACH PLANT DISCHARGE

CYCLONE

UNDERFLOW TO
1ST STAGE ROTOSCOOP SANDS TO 2ND
STAGE ROTOSCOOP
BARREN SOLUTION
FROM CIX

2ND STAGE OVERFLOW =

WASH SOLUTION TO 1ST
STAGE ROTOSCOOP

FIRST STAGE OVERFLOW

RETURNS TO JOIN LEACH WASHED SANDS TO TAILINGS
DISCHARGE AND CYCLONE
FEED
Thickeners CYCLONE OVERFLOW
FROM ROTOSCOOP
PATH OF SLIMES THROUGH THE THICKENERS SECTION

WASHED SLIMES TO TAILINGS

PATH OF SOLUTION THROUGH THE SECTION

BARREN SOLUTION FROM CIX

PREGNANT
SOLUTION
TO CIX
Continuous Ion Exchange
Solvent Exchange
OK LIQUOR
FROM SX PRECIPITATION
YELLOW CAKE THICKENER
pH 7.2-7.3
NH3 GAS
AMMONIUM
SULPHATE
THICKENER UNDERFLOW SG 1.3 - 1.5
TO SX PLANT
WATER WATER

STORAGE
FIRST STAGE STORAGE SECOND STAGE
FILTER, WASH FILTER, WASH

Final
AND REPULP AND REPULP
6 HEARTH

Product
CALCINING
FURNACE

Recovery
DRUMMED
URANIUM HAMMER MILL
CALCINED
PRODUCT