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Tovi a écrit :Donc le phosphate n'est pas récupérable en tant qu'engrais.
Ce qui accelère sa raréfaction.

Success for uranium-from-phosphate plant

24 September 2012 World Nuclear News

A portable demonstration plant has achieved "exceptional results" with uranium recoveries of over 90% during steady state operations.


Inside the portable PhosEnergy plant (Image: UEQ)


Uranium Equities' (UEQ's) PhosEnergy demonstration plant uses a refined ion exchange process to recover uranium from phosphate streams from the production of phosphate-based fertilizers. The demonstration plant, which is contained inside two shipping containers allowing for easy mobilization and transport, was shipped from Australia to the USA, where it was commissioned in May. Four ten-day tests were completed between June and August using phosphate streams from two different fertilizer facilities.

The operations achieved consistently high uranium recovery of over 90%, with the chemistry of the phosphate stream unaffected except for the removal of uranium, results which UEQ describes as "exceptional." The concentrated product from the operations was shipped to a uranium production facility and can be used to make a "saleable product".

UEQ managing director Bryn Jones described the completion of the plant's first operating phase as a major milestone in the commercialization of the process, to be followed by an engineering study to further increase confidence in capital and operating cost estimates – operating costs are currently estimated to be $25-30 per pound U3O8, with capital costs of $100 per pound of annualized nameplate capacity. The engineering study is expected to begin in the final quarter of 2012.

By-product uranium from the phosphate industry was a major source of uranium production in the 1980s, but the solvent extraction process used at the time had become uneconomic by the 1990s and production ceased. According to UEQ, this means that uranium from phosphates now represents a large stranded resource waiting to be developed. The PhosEnergy process is being commercialized under a strategic alliance between UEQ and Canadian uranium company Cameco.

Remundo a écrit :C'est un process destiné à produire de l'acide phosphorique (attaque du minerai à l'acide sulfurique).

Remundo a écrit :C'est un process destiné à produire de l'acide phosphorique (attaque du minerai à l'acide sulfurique).

L'uranium est un sous-produit...

Edit : il semble qu'il soit obtenu par extraction liquide/liquide avec des solvants organiques très spéciaux. Voir ici :

Remundo a écrit :C'est un process destiné à produire de l'acide phosphorique.
L'uranium est un sous-produit...

Cameco to invest into technology for uranium extraction from phosphoric acid
On Nov. 9, 2009, Uranium Equities Ltd announced that Cameco invests up to US$ 16.5 million for the continued development and commercialisation of the PhosEnergy Process for the extraction of uranium from phosphoric acid.
Operating cost estimates based on a pilot plant in Florida indicate that, with contingency, the process is capable of producing uranium at operating costs in the order of US$ 25-30/lb U3O8 with over 90% uranium recovery.

On June 22, 2012, Uranium Equities Ltd announced that a transportable Demonstration Plant, designed to gather additional operating and capital cost information for the commercialisation of the process, was commissioned in May in the USA.

On Sep. 19, 2012, Uranium Equities Ltd announced that it has completed four, 10 day tests at two different fertiliser plants. The company said the process produced consistently high uranium recovery of more than 90 per cent, and the chemistry of the phosphate stream was otherwise unaffected. The production cost for the uranium concentrate was estimated at $US20-$US25 per pound, with other costs dependent on the size of the plant. "The design criteria derived from the demonstration plant runs will be fed into an engineering study planned to commence in the December quarter of 2012 to further increase confidence in the capital and operating cost estimates," the company said.

Herv12 a écrit :Ok, l'exemple est pas trés bon, mais vous avez du comprendre ou je voulais en venir
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Herv12 a écrit :J'ai pas lu tout le fil, mais en fait pour répondre à ça il faut savoir si l'extraction ne relâche pas des saloperies (genre le mercure dans l'extraction de l'or). Si c'est le cas c'est embêtant.