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Introduction
Journal Editorial Board:Editorial Board of Uranium Mining and Metallurgy
Publication Period: Quarterly
Publication Place: Beijing
Language: Chinese
Supervisor: China National Nuclear Corporation
Organizer: Chinese Nuclear Society
Publisher: Editorial Board of Uranium Mining and Metallurgy
Editor in Chief: SU Xuebin
Tel: 8610-51674348, 51674124
E-mail: youkuangye@cnmstc.com
ISSN：1000-8063
CN：11-1969/TL
Postal Distribution Code: 82-745
Website: https://ykyi.cbpt.cnki.net
Design of Gamma Array Beneficiation Detection System and Its Consistency Correction Method
YAN Yuantong;WANG Dongyang;WANG Renbo;LIU Qi;QIU Huan;ZHANG Xiongjie;To enhance the separation efficiency and accuracy of medium and low-grade uranium ores, we developed a gamma array beneficiation detection system based on 64 NaI detectors and established a reliable consistency correction method. This system adopts an 8-column×8-row array layout, integrating a digital single-channel pulse amplitude analyzer, an FPGA data processing module and an STM32 control module, which can achieve synchronous acquisition and real-time processing of gamma-ray signals from uranium ore conveyed by belts. To address the problem of count rate deviation caused by multi-detector process differences, a mathematical model for count rate consistency analysis was constructed, and one-way analysis of variance was used for consistency evaluation. The test results show that before calibration, the F value among the detector groups reached 3 654.41, and the P value was 0, significantly deviating from the consistency standard. Then, the t-test method was adopted to locate the abnormal detectors. After calibrating the abnormal detectors, the F value dropped to 0.64, P=0.98>0.05, and there was no significant difference in the counting rates of each detector. This system effectively enhances the accuracy and stability of signal acquisition, providing efficient technical support for the pre-beneficiation of low-grade uranium ore before grinding. It has significant engineering value for expanding the utilization boundaries of mineral resources and reducing subsequent processing costs.
Process Mineralogical Study of Uranium Ores in Qingshankou Formation of a Uranium Deposit in Songliao Basin
LIU Xiaokui;HOU Chunru;YUAN Yuan;YI Aifei;HU Rile;GAO Yonghong;The Qingshankou Formation is one of the primary ore-bearing layers for uranium deposits in the Songliao Basin, where the techno-metallurgical characteristics of the ores directly determine the feasibility of in-situ leaching uranium. This study focuses on sandstone type ores in the Qingshankou Formation, employing petrographic analysis, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and electron probe microanalysis to conduct techno-metallurgical research, systematically revealing the occurrence patterns of uranium minerals. The results indicate that uranium minerals in fine sandstones of the Qingshankou Formation are predominantly uraninite and pitchblende, primarily distributed along the edges of clastic particles, which facilitates contact between uranium minerals and leaching solutions. Additionally, the pores in fine sandstones are mainly intergranular, promoting uniform diffusion of leaching agents. In contrast, uranium minerals in mud breccia are primarily uraninite, mainly distributed within the mud breccia, which hinders contact between leaching solutions and uranium minerals, increasing leaching difficulty. The study suggests that the Qingshankou Formation of a uranium deposit in the Songliao Basin has the potential to become an ideal mining horizon in the region.
Construction and Application of Collaborative Technology System for Mine Geology,Surveying,and Mining:A Case Study of Kangjiawan Mine
LIANG Zonghuo;QIU Ming;ZUO Zong;YANG Feng;Against the background of digital transformation in the mining industry, long-standing issues such as data fragmentation, disjointed workflows, and insufficient collaboration mechanisms among geology, surveying, and mining disciplines have become key bottlenecks constraining improvements in production efficiency and technical management. Focusing on geology-surveying-mining collaboration, this study establishes a full-process collaborative technical system for mining production. Based on unified data standards, a layered architecture consisting of a data layer, toolset layer, collaborative operation platform layer, and mining business layer is proposed. A process-driven mechanism is employed to enable coordinated operation of core tasks such as geological modeling, surveying updates, and mining design, forming a closed-loop technical management model that covers task initiation, process control, result review, and archival sharing. Application results demonstrate that the proposed system effectively addresses common issues in traditional management modes, including data version inconsistency and poor traceability of business workflows, significantly enhances cross-disciplinary collaboration efficiency and technical management capability, and promotes the transformation of mining production management from experience-driven to process-and data-driven practices.
Key Parameters for Casing Slotted Well in In-situ Leaching of Uranium
LI Xilong;YAN Jifan;LIU Xiaokui;KOU Wenjie;In order to solve the problems of cumbersome construction process,irreplaceable filter and non-convertible function of extractable liquid in complex sandstone type uranium deposits in the traditional in-situ leaching uranium well configuration(such as large-diameter gravel filling well configuration),a new type of slotted well configuration and its construction technology were proposed.The configuration adopts a one-diameter to the end method,the casing is lowered through the whole hole and the reverse grouting is cemented,and then the industrial ore section is slapped by high-pressure hydraulic sandblasting technology to open up the hydraulic connection channel inside and outside the casing.Through laboratory tests,the key technical parameters of hydraulic sandblasting joints were studied,including the effects of spray pressure,nozzle diameter and moving speed on the depth and width of the joints.The results indicate the optimal slotted performance is achieved when the injection pressure is maintained 30 MPa,the nozzle diameter is set at 3.5 mm,and the moving speed is controlled at 90 mm/min.The slotted well configuration has the advantages of simple construction process,high efficiency,less consumables and high well quality,and is suitable for the mining of complex sandstone type uranium deposits to improve the recovery rate of uranium resources.
Pilot Test on Purification of Pregnant Solution of In-situ Leaching Uranium Based on Microchannel Separation Technology
LIU Tianyin;LI Xilong;RUAN Zhilong;DONG Huiqi;YANG Danhui;LYU Wenjie;The pregnant solution produced by the neutral in-situ leaching uranium process often contains a large amount of fine particles, which can easily lead to problems such as the decrease of ion exchange rate of subsequent ion exchange resins, the decrease of resin adsorption capacity, and frequent cleaning cycles. Aiming at the bottleneck of low removal efficiency and insufficient operation stability of traditional solid-liquid separation technology for fine particles, this study introduced a microchannel separation technology based on the coupling enhancement mechanism of microchannel adhesion separation—oscillation desorption, and carried out field pilot test. The experimental results show that the removal efficiency of particles with particle size >1 μm is higher than 94 %, and the removal efficiency of particles with particle size >5 μm is close to 100%. Under different influent turbidity(6-33 NTU) conditions, the effluent turbidity was stable at 2-9 NTU, and the removal rate was maintained 60%-75%. The operating pressure difference of the system increased slowly with the accumulation of particles. After 8 days of stable operation of the device, the removal efficiency of particles with particle size >1 μm decreased to 70 %. In order to restore the separation performance of the system, the device was backwashed. After backwashing, the removal ability of particles with particle size >5 μm was quickly restored. Compared with the conventional bag filter, the particles at the outlet of the microchannel separator are mainly distributed in the sub-micron to micron scale, and the medium and large particle sizes are significantly reduced. This study provides experimental basis and technical support for the engineering application of microchannel separation technology in the pretreatment of pregnant solution of in-situ leaching uranium.
Design and Validation of Uranium Ore Volume Measurement System
TIAN Yuhui;YIN Shaoyu;ZHANG Chen;HOU Xianming;YANG Fugeng;ZHANG Shouxun;LI Guang;LI Chunfeng;LIU Zhichao;MA Jia;Radioactive sorting of uranium ore is a core process in the pre-concentration stage of hard-rock uranium mining. It is crucial for reducing crushing， grinding， and hydrometallurgical costs， as well as for improving the economic mining cutoff grade of uranium resources. The volume of ore blocks is a key input parameter for coupling with gamma radioactivity to calculate uranium grade and determine sorting thresholds. In current high-speed multi-channel conveyor sorting scenarios (≤4 m/s)， traditional volume measurement methods suffer from significant drawbacks， including large errors， high data processing latency， poor real-time communication with sorting control systems， and an inability to support precise grade determination. To address these issues， we designed a laser scanning volume measurement system for uranium ore blocks based on ZYNQ-SOC. Centered on Xilinx ZYNQ-7020 SOC chip， the system acquires 3D point cloud data of the ore block surfaces via a laser scanner. It relies on the Programmable Logic (PL) hardware acceleration pipeline of the ZYNQ-SOC to complete point cloud denoising， registration， and effective area extraction. Combined with synchronous displacement feedback from an encoder， the system employs a “point cloud parsing + cross-sectional integration method” to rapidly calculate the volume and center coordinates of the ore blocks. Leveraging the heterogeneous ZYNQ-SOC platform， the Processing System (PS) utilizes a high-speed Gigabit Ethernet communication link. This achieves high-speed acquisition and interaction of point cloud data with the front-end laser scanning equipment， and outputs volume measurement results to the Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) of the back-end radioactive sorting system. By fusing in-situ detection data from the integrated gamma radiation detection module， the system realizes real-time online calculation of uranium ore grade indicators， providing data support for radioactive sorting control. Experimental results demonstrate that the system significantly improves the real-time performance of point cloud processing through the collaborative design of hardware and software， with a total data link latency of ≤30 ms. For uranium ores with a particle size of 50–120 mm， the measurement error for over 85% of the samples is controlled within ±20%， with an average measurement error of only 4.75% under optimal conditions. The system meets the requirements for high-speed online inspection in uranium ore radioactive sorting production lines， providing technical support for enhancing the automation level of uranium mineral processing in China and expanding the reserves of economically exploitable uranium resources.
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Dissolution Behavior of Strontium Nitrate/Cesium Nitrate in Supercritical Water
LIU Shaokui;XU Xiangyu;HE Liang;TAN Yang;HU Shaohua;ZHOU Qingzhi;With the development of nuclear energy technology， the treatment of radioactive organic waste has become a key issue in the industry. Supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) has attracted attention due to its rapid reaction rate and thorough degradation efficiency. However， the solubility of inorganic salts in supercritical water is extremely low， which can easily lead to equipment blockage and corrosion. Most existing studies focus on the solubility and deposition mechanisms of common non-radioactive salts such as sodium and potassium， while limited research is available on the deposition behaviors of high-heat-releasing radionuclides strontium and cesium. . Using a self-developed supercritical water experimental apparatus (maximum conditions: 30 MPa， 550 ℃)， this study investigated the solubility variations of strontium nitrate and cesium nitrate under supercritical conditions， and analyzed the dissolution mechanism in combination with a precipitation-dissolution equilibrium model. A pressurization-before-heating strategy was adopted. The concentration of the effluent was determined by ICP-MS， and the solubility was calculated according to mass conservation. The results show that strontium nitrate undergoes significant thermal decomposition in supercritical water， generating strontium oxide which further hydrates to strontium hydroxide， while the released nitrogen dioxide reduces the system pH to approximately 2.5. Consequently， the solubility of strontium nitrate does not exhibit a simple power-law relationship with density and cannot be fitted by the classical ion-pair model. In contrast， cesium nitrate shows a lower degree of thermal decomposition， its solubility is positively correlated with density and follows a precipitation-dissolution equilibrium， indicating that its dissolution mechanism in supercritical water also involves a transition from hydrated ions to contact ion pairs. For both salts， solubility decreases with increasing temperature and decreasing pressure. However， strontium nitrate exhibits more complex solubility behavior due to the coupled effect of thermal decomposition and hydrolysis. The findings provide a theoretical basis for deposition control and reactor optimization when using SCWO to treat strontium- and cesium-containing radioactive waste.
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Numerical Simulation of Hydraulic Curtain Experiment for Uranium-Coal Synergistic Mining
GE Jialiang;TIAN Yubin;LI Mengjiao;LIU Xiaochao;CAO Fengbo;WU Xuyang;YIN Ran;ZHANG Jiusong;To address the technical challenge in uranium-coal synergistic mining where coal mine dewatering causes a continuous decline in the groundwater level of the uranium-bearing aquifer and thus hinders the stable operation of in-situ leaching of uranium. This study takes a typical uranium-coal superimposed mining area in the Ordos Basin as the research object， based on the local hydrogeological conditions， a numerical model of a groundwater hydraulic curtain is constructed using numerical simulation methods. Through multi-scenario numerical simulations， a systematic comparative study of different hydraulic curtain schemes is carried out. The influence of the curtain location and injection well spacing on the water level uplift effect is revealed， and the variation in water level drop between injection wells as well as the hydraulic continuity is quantitatively evaluated. The results show that the distance between the hydraulic curtain injection wells and the uranium mining area has a strong negative correlation with the water level uplift. When the distance increases from 50 m to 150 m， the uplift decreases linearly from 14.48 m to 6.15 m， a reduction of 58%. As the injection well spacing increases， the uplift exhibits a non-linear trend of first increasing and then decreasing. The recommended spacing is 60–80 m (theoretical optimum of 77.6 m)， corresponding to a maximum uplift of 14.78 m. When the spacing is too small， the single-well injection rate is insufficient， resulting in low uplift efficiency; when the spacing is too large， the water level drop between wells increases and the hydraulic continuity is impaired. Considering the uplift effect， curtain continuity， and engineering economy， a spacing of 60–80 m is recommended， corresponding to 4–5 injection wells with a single-well injection rate of 6.0–7.5 m3/h. Under this condition， the water level uplift in the uranium mining area can reach 14.28–14.78 m. The findings provide a technical basis and parameter support for the hydraulic curtain design and engineering practice in uranium-coal synergistic mining coexisting mining areas.
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Research Progress and Application Prospects on Diagnostic Methods of Evolutionary Characteristics in Hydrogeological Processes
LI Xinxin;Accurately identifying the evolutionary characteristics of the hydrogeological process is a scientific prerequisite for investigating the groundwater level and migration and transformation patterns of uranium in uranium mining areas. Hydrogeological process regulates groundwater flow fields, redox boundaries, and solute transport pathways, thereby influencing the speciation and migration behavior of uranium. Due to the combined influence of many factors, the hydrogeological process shows significant temporal variability. In this study, recent progresses on diagnostic methods used for evolutionary characteristics in hydrogeological process were summarized as follows: 1) the trend-detection of hydrogeological process based on stochastic hydrology. MK method has been widely used to describe the long-term variability of hydrogeological process, while it is based on the assumption of data independence, which can't be met in practical process. 2) the natural evolutionary characteristics with short-or long-term persistence in hydrogeological process. The autocorrelation function of former decays quickly to zero, and is described by Autoregressive(AR), Moving average(MA) and Auto-Regressive Moving Average(ARMA) models, while the latter decays more slowly and is described by Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average(ARIMA) and Autoregressive Fractionally Integrated Moving Average(ARFIMA) models. 3) the natural evolutionary characteristics in hydrogeological process based on unit root tests. The unit root process is an important representation of dependent characteristics of a time series. It is nonstationary, which can't be described by short-or long-term persistence, and has a stochastic trend, rather than a deterministic trend. Due to the limitations and defects of these methods, the natural evolutionary characteristics in hydrogeological process cannot be detected accurately, whose impact on trend-detection was also unclear, and result that the evolutionary characteristics of hydrogeological process was unclear. Hence, the main objective of this study is to identify types of natural evolutionary characteristics and access its influence on trend detection in hydrogeological process. In this study, we proposed a more reasonable framework for detection of variability in hydrogeological process, aiming to more accurate evolutionary characteristics of hydrogeological processes. Based on it, future research should focus on developing spatially and temporally differentiated high-precision SWAT-MODFLOW models to accurately elucidate the driving mechanisms of surface hydrological processes on groundwater systems, thereby enhancing the understanding of groundwater dynamics and uranium migration patterns in uranium mining areas.
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Effectiveness of Long-term Supervision and Management Mode for Decommissioned Uranium Mine Exploration Facilities in Mountainous Areas of Southern China
WU Guohui;LUO Jizun;WU Jiacheng;YU Yang;CEN Xiuzhi;To evaluate the long-term environmental safety and sustainable remediation effect of decommissioning projects of uranium mine geological exploration facilities in southern mountainous regions, a decommissioned uranium mine exploration facility was selected as the research object. Based on the field monitoring and engineering inspection data spanning eight consecutive years from 2018 to 2025, this paper systematically analyzed the temporal and spatial variation rules of gamma radiation dose rate, radon exhalation rate, as well as radionuclide contents in surface water and soil. The results reveal that due to rainfall erosion and overburden soil loss, the gamma radiation dose rate and radon exhalation rate of waste rock piles were obviously beyond standard limits during 2018 to the first half of 2019. After carrying out backfilling with overburden soil thicker than 80 cm, structural reinforcement and natural vegetation restoration in 2019, core radiation indicators dropped rapidly and have steadily complied with the provisions of Technical Specification for Monitoring and Surveillance of Decommissioning Project of Uranium Prospecting Facilities(DB45/T 2617—2022) and relevant national standards, proving that the regional radiation environment is safely controllable in the long term. Radon exhalation rate presents higher sensitivity to the integrity of covering layer, and can be taken as the preferred early warning index in long-term supervision. A closed-loop management mechanism of "monitoring-evaluation-maintenance" was formed in this study, and a long-term supervision system supported by fiscal guarantee, professional construction teams and local standard guidance was established. The research results can offer practical references and technical basis for long-term environmental management of analogous decommissioned uranium mine exploration facilities in southern mountainous areas of China.
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ON THE THEORY OF AXIAL VARIATION AND BASIC RULES OF DEFORMATION AND FRACTURE OF ROCKS SURROUNDING UNDERGROUND EXCAVATIONS
Yu Xuefu (Beijing University of Iron and Steel Technology)At present, theories applied to explain stability of underground excavation have been undergoing a progress from the analogism of empirical engineering toward the scientific reasoning.(下转第7页)The significant marking of the progress proceeding from the recognization of the stress of virgin rock as an important influential factor,is the application of concrete analyses to the stress of rock surrounding the underground excavation and the modes of their deformation and destruction that are beyond the mechanical application of conventional rules for surface structures to approach underground problems, and hence entering into a new stage that scientific theories are being used to explain modes of stability of underground excavation, In this paper, the theory of axial variation and basic rules of deformation and destruction of surrounding rocks are emphatically discussed. Besides, conventional me thods for stabilization and maintenance of excavations and development of ground pressures are also described briefly.
Treatment technology of low concentration uranium-bearing wastewater and its research progress
WEI Guang-zhi,XU Le-chang(Beijing Research Institute of Chemical Engineering and Metallurgy, CNNC,Beijing 101149,China)With growth of the discharged uraniumbearing wastewater capacity,a low cost and effective treatment technology is required to avoid transferring and diffusing of the radioactive nuclides.On the basis of analyses of the source and characteristics of the low-concentration uranium-bearing wastewater,the conventional treatment technologies,such as,flocculating settling,ion exchange,concentration,adsorption,and some innovatory technologies,such as,membrane,microorganism,phytoremediation and zero-valent iron technology are introduced.
[Downloads: 2,772 ] [Citations: 246 ] [Reads: 81 ] HTML PDF Cite this article
INTRODUCTION TO COMMON SOFTWARE PRODUCTS MODELING GROUNDWATER
XU Le chang(Research Institute of Uranium Mining, CNNC, Hengyang 421001, China)Groundwater Modeling is playing an increasingly important role in researching into groundwater.Now hundreds of software products modeling groundwater are available.This paper introduces main functions and features of some common software products,such as GMS,Visual MODFLOW,Visual Groundwater,PHREEQC,HST3D,TNTmips,and moreover,presents steps in modeling protocol.
DETERMINATION OF RADON EDUCTION RATE AND EXPLORATION ON ITS INFLUENCE FACTORS
LI Ren jie [WT5”BZ][ST5”BZ](Jinyuan Uranium Corporation, CNNC, Beijing 100822, China)Methods of determination of radon eduction rate in uranium mining and hydrome tallurgy system are discribed.Its influence factors such as precipitation,air pressure,air temperature,ground temperature,and humidity etc.are explored.
RESEARCH STATUS AND DEVELOPMENT OF IN-SITU LEACHING URANIUM TECHNIQUES IN CHINA
QUE Wei-min~1,WANG Hai-feng~1,TIAN Shi-feng~2,ZHANG Ze-gui~2,YAO Yi-xuan~1 (1. Beijing Research Institute of Chemical Engineering and Metallurgy, CNNC, Beijing 101149, China; 2. Liaohe Bureau of Oil Prospecting, Panjin 124010, China)Present situations of production and research of in-situ leaching uranium mines in China are described. The problems existing in study and development are analyzed, and the orientation of study on in-situ leaching of uranium in China is proposed.
Treatment technology of low concentration uranium-bearing wastewater and its research progress
WEI Guang-zhi,XU Le-chang(Beijing Research Institute of Chemical Engineering and Metallurgy, CNNC,Beijing 101149,China)With growth of the discharged uraniumbearing wastewater capacity,a low cost and effective treatment technology is required to avoid transferring and diffusing of the radioactive nuclides.On the basis of analyses of the source and characteristics of the low-concentration uranium-bearing wastewater,the conventional treatment technologies,such as,flocculating settling,ion exchange,concentration,adsorption,and some innovatory technologies,such as,membrane,microorganism,phytoremediation and zero-valent iron technology are introduced.
[Downloads: 2,772 ] [Citations: 246 ] [Reads: 81 ] HTML PDF Cite this article
A summary of studies on mine wastewater treatment
MA Yao,HU Bao-qun,SUN Zhan-xue(East China Institute of Technology,Fuzhou 344000,China)The composition of mine wastewater is complicated and is harmful to the environment.The mine wastewater treatment methods include mainly neutralization,constructed wetland and microorganism methods.The three methods are summarized,with focus on the microorganism method.The mechanisms,characteristics and influencing factors of the sulfate reducing bacteria and the iron oxidizing bacteria are discribed in detail.The treatment methods of uranium mine wastewater are presented.
INTRODUCTION TO COMMON SOFTWARE PRODUCTS MODELING GROUNDWATER
XU Le chang(Research Institute of Uranium Mining, CNNC, Hengyang 421001, China)Groundwater Modeling is playing an increasingly important role in researching into groundwater.Now hundreds of software products modeling groundwater are available.This paper introduces main functions and features of some common software products,such as GMS,Visual MODFLOW,Visual Groundwater,PHREEQC,HST3D,TNTmips,and moreover,presents steps in modeling protocol.
Research advances in treatment technology of radioactive wastewater
LI Xiao-yan,ZHANG Ye(Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering,East China Institute of Technology,Fuzhou 344000,China)Traditional treatment technologies on radioactive wastewater such as flocculating sedimentation,ion exchange,evaporation concentration and adsorption method at home and abroad are reviewed,and the latest research progress such as membrane method,biological treatment,magnetic-molecules method,inert curing method and permeable reactive(zero-valent iron) barriers technology are introduced.
Research advances in adsorption of heavy metals by algae
ZHANG Yong-liang1,ZHANG Hao-jiang2,XIE Shui-bo1,TANG Dong-shan1,CHEN Shan1,WANG Shui-yun1(1.Pollution Control and Resource Technology Key Laboratory of Hunan Province,University of South China,Hengyang 421001,China;2.School of Civil Engineering,Hunan University,Changsha 410082,China)Algae has a strong ability to enrich heavy metal ions.It can be used as biological adsorbent to remove and recover the heavy metals in industrial wastewater.The basic features of algae,the adsorption mechanisms and ion exchange of the toxic heavy metals are introduced.Key factors of influencing algae adsorption,such as pH value,adsorption time,coexistence ions and pretreatment are explained.Thermodynamics and dynamics of algae adsorption are also discussed.The research directions are presented.
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