Nuclear Engineering and Technology

Korean Nuclear Society (한국원자력학회)
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Seepage characteristics of the leaching solution during in situ leaching of uranium

  • Sheng Zeng (School of Resources Environment and Safety Engineering, University of South China) ;
  • Jiayin Song (School of Resources Environment and Safety Engineering, University of South China) ;
  • Bing Sun (School of Civil Engineering, University of South China) ;
  • Fulin Wang (School of Resources Environment and Safety Engineering, University of South China) ;
  • Wenhao Ye (School of Resources Environment and Safety Engineering, University of South China) ;
  • Yuan Shen (School of Resources Environment and Safety Engineering, University of South China) ;
  • Hao Li (School of Resources Environment and Safety Engineering, University of South China)
  • Received : 2022.04.05
  • Accepted : 2022.10.09
  • Published : 2023.02.25
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Abstract

Investigating the seepage characteristics of the leaching solution in the ore-bearing layer during the in situ leaching process can be useful for designing the process parameters for the uranium mining well. We prepared leaching solutions of four different viscosities and conducted experiments using a self-developed multifunctional uranium ore seepage test device. The effects of different viscosities of leaching solutions on the seepage characteristics of uranium-bearing sandstones were examined using seepage mechanics, physicochemical seepage theory, and dissolution erosion mechanism. Results indicated that while the seepage characteristics of various viscosities of leaching solutions were the same in rock samples with similar internal pore architectures, there were regular differences between the saturated and the unsaturated stages. In addition, the time required for the specimen to reach saturation varied with the viscosity of the leaching solution. The higher the viscosity of the solution, the slower the seepage flow from the unsaturated stage to the saturated stage. Furthermore, during the saturation stage, the seepage pressure of a leaching solution with a high viscosity was greater than that of a leaching solution with a low viscosity. However, the permeability coefficient of the high viscosity leaching solution was less than that of a low viscosity leaching solution.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This study was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 11775107).

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