Uranium Mining Overview World Nuclear Association
Mill chemistry The crushed and ground ore or the underground ore in the case of ISL mining is leached with sulfuric acid UO 3 2H ====> UO 2 2 H 2 O UO 2 2 3SO 4 2 ====> UO 2 SO 4 3 4 The UO 2 is oxidised to UO With some ores carbonate leaching is used to form a soluble uranyl tricarbonate ion UO 2 CO 3 3 can then be precipitated with an alkali as sodium