Uranium extraction using biogenic ferric sulfate a case study on quartz chlorite ore from Jaduguda, Singhbhum Thrust Belt (STB), Bihar, India

The application of ferric ion as an oxidant and in combination with other anions such as ferric sulfate or chloride as cr leachant is well accepted for the recovery of metals, particularly from ores of copper, cobalt, nickel, lead, zinc and uranium. Biogenically generated ferric sulfate has been in vogue for many dump and heap leaching operations, to recover uranium and copper values. However, its use in conventional commercial mills is confined to a lone case in a South African uranium plant of General Mining Corporation Buffelsfontein to recover uranium values. The feasibility of employing biogenically generated ferric sulfate as an oxidative leachant using Thiobacillus ferrooxidans by Bacfox process, in a conventional plant for extraction of uranium from quartz chlorite-sericite ore from Jaduguda, Singhbhum, Bihar, India has been investigated. Extraction efficiency up to 95% has been obtained. The process parameters and the environmentally friendly characteristics of this method are discussed in the paper.