Comparative study for leaching processes of uranium, copper and cadmium from gibbsite ore material of Talet Seleim, Southwestern, Sinai, Egypt

Abstract

In this paper, leaching characteristics are presented, and a cost-effective process for extracting uranium, copper, and cadmium from Talet Seleim’s Gibbsite is developed. H2SO4 was chosen as the preferable leaching agent based on the agitation experiment’s findings. The leaching efficiencies of U, Cu, and Cd attained 95%, 90%, and 89%, respectively, under the investigated ideal circumstances. Kinetic study of leaching process proved diffusion controlling mechanisms with activation energies: 29.59, 29.30, and 34.84 kJ/mol, respectively. U was recovered using Amberlite IRA 400, while Cu and Cd were precipitated from Talet Seleim’s gibbsite’s sulphate leachate. Finally, the tentative treatment procedure's preliminary flowsheet was then given.