Electrolysis of uranium leach solutions in hydrometallurgical processing

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Mining is an important component of Canada's resource-driven economy, and the continued development of new and improved extractive metallurgy technologies will be critical to Canada's competitiveness in this area. The innovative application of electrochemical techniques could offer new ways to purify solutions and produce valuable metals. Presently, the use of electrolytic technologies in the mining sector is limited largely to the electroplating of metals. However, with the continued advancement of membranes and electrode coatings, new and innovative applications of electrolysis exist. This requires substantial research into the handling of impurities, selection of electrode materials, and design of appropriate flow sheets taking into account the complexity of mining solutions. NORAM Engineering and Constructors Ltd., a Vancouver-based engineering and technology company, has identified a new and significant opportunity to modify their existing electrolytic cell technology to be used for uranium processing. The goal of this proposal is to investigate the application of electrolysis to uranium(VI) reduction as an alternative method of uranium processing in hydrometallurgy, with a particular focus on identifying and resolving specific issues related to electrode fouling, precipitation within the cell, and the handling of trace impurities. A review of fundamentals regarding electrolytic cell design and electrochemical processes will be conducted with Noram, including identifying the design and challenges of current applications of electrolytic cells in hydrometallurgical processes, and potential novel applications of electrolytic cells in the field of metallurgy. An electrolytic cell for uranium(VI) reduction to U(IV) will then be designed, constructed and tested. The optimum operating conditions of the electrolytic cell will be investigated and determined. Experiments will first be conducted using synthetic uranium(VI) sulphate solutions to simulate real process solutions, followed by real leachate solutions from a Canadian uranium mine. Cameco Corporation will provide a sample.