JSC “Center of Earth Sciences, Metallurgy and Enrichment”

A. N. Zagorodnyaya, Leading Scientific Associate

Z. S. Abisheva, Head of Laboratory, e-mail: abisheva_z@mail.ru

S. E. Sadykanova, Junior Scientific Associate

A. S. Sharipova, Scientific Associate

E. G. Bochevskaya, Leading Scientific Associate

Rhenium resources in uranium-bearing ores in Kazakhstan vary from 110 to 200 tons. Uranium recovered from these ores by the method of underground leaching (UL). Recovery of rhenium from such solutions was first organized by us in one of the enterprises in Uzbekistan, and continues to expand. Activity of this enterprise has shown that solutions of UL — essential raw material source of rhenium. To clarify the possibility of organizing the production of rhenium in the uranium industry in Kazakhstan the next works was carried out: the determination of rhenium content in the initial solutions and anionites, the study of behavior of rhenium during the processing of solutions, determination of technological parameters for recovery of rhenium from filtrate of uranium sorption by anion exchangers A920, IRA410; parameters of rhenium concentration from nitrate-containing eluates by liquid extraction by trialkylamine (TAA); stripping of rhenium by aqueous ammonia. The presence of rhenium in UL solutions of all enterprises was established, but its concentration varies and ranges from 0.25 to 0.50 mg/dm³. The concentration of rhenium in solutions resulted in sorption is higher than in solutions of UL due to the mixing of UL solutions with different solutions after processing initial solutions. Rhenium is partially sorbed with uranium oh the stages of sorption and additional saturation, partially eluted with uranium. The average content of rhenium in the eluates are 2.5–3.0 mg/dm³ and in anionite — 840 g/t. Parameters of rhenium sorption on anion exchangers IRA410 and A920 and its further concentration by extraction were determined. The parameters tested in the enterprise on the sorption of rhenium from filtrates after uranium sorption. The data obtained showed the possibility of organizing of ammonium perrhenate production in the uranium industry of Kazakhstan. The flow sheet of recovery of Re from UL solutions is presented. Production schedules was prepared, the cost of production of ammonium perrhenate is calculated.

1. Lipmann A. Rhenium 2009 and beyond. Lipmann Walton & Co. Ltd. Walton on Thames (Surrey), 2009. Available at: http://www.lipmann.co.uk/articles/re_2009.html
2. The Economics of Rhenium, 7^th ed., Summary : Rhenium. Roskill Metals and Minerals Reports. London, 2007. Available at : http://www.roskill.com/reports/rhenium
3. Vinogradova M. A., Fominykh E. G. Usovershenstvovanie ekstraktsionnoy skhemy polucheniya reniya iz promyshlennoy kisloty, poluchennoy iz gazov medeplavilnogo proizvodstva. Reniy. Khimiya, tekhnologiya, analiz (Improvement of rhenium obtaining from industrial copper smelting production gas acid extraction scheme. Rhenium. Chemistry, Technology, Analysis). Moscow, 1976. pp. 77—79.
4. Zagorodnyaya A. N., Abisheva Z. S., Ponomareva E. I., Bekturganov N. S. Hydrometallurgical processing of rheniumcontaining by-products of lead production. Proceed. of the XXIV International Mineral Processing Congress. Beijing (China), 2008. Vol. 2. pp. 2975—2985.
5. Savchenko G. A. Raspredelenie reniya na ekspluatiruemykh mestorozhdeniyakh urana Chu-Sarysuyskogo regiona v svyazi s problemoy ikh kompleksnoy otrabotki. II Mezhd. nauch.-prakt. konf. Aktualnye problemy uranovoy promyshlennosti: sb. dokl (Distribution of rhenium on Chu-Sarysujsk region exploited uranium deposits in connection with the problem of their integrated processing. II International theoretical and practical Confrernce. Actual problems of uranic industry). Almaty, 2002. pp. 166—172.
6. Kozhakhmetov S. K., Arinov B. Zh., Kopbaeva M. P., Gorlachev I. D., Panova E. N. Vozmozhnost poputnogo izvlecheniya redkikh i redkozemelnykh metallov iz produktivnykh rastvorov PV urana mestorozhdeniy yuzhnogo Kazakhstana. VI Mezhd. nauch.-prakt. konf. Aktualnye problemy uranovoy promyshlennosti (The possibility of associated extraction of rare and rare-earth metals from the productive solutions PV uranium deposits of Southern Kazakhstan. VI International researcher-prakt. Associate Professor. Actual problems of uranium industry). Almaty, 2010. pp. 452—456.
7. Laverov N. P., Abdulmanov I. G., Brovin K. G. and etc. Podzemnoe vyshchelachivanie polielementnykh rud (Underground leaching of poli-element ores). Moscow, 1998. 446 p.

8. Zagorodnyaya A. N., Abisheva Z. S., Bobrova V. V., Bekturganov N. S. Integrated processing of solutions from underground leaching of uranium ore. Proceed. of the XXIII Intern. Mineral Processing Congress. — Istanbul, 2006. Vol. 2. pp. 1434—1439.
9. Zagorodnyaya A. N., Abisheva Z. S., Nietbaev M. A., Baskakova G. A., Bobrova V. V. II Mezhdunar. nauch.-prakt. konf. Aktualnye problemy uranovoy promyshlennosti (II International cientific theoretical and practical conference. Actual problems of uranium industry). Almaty, 2005. pp. 525—527.
10. Zagorodnyaya A. N., Abisheva Z. S., Duysebaev B. O., Nietbaev M. A. Izvlechenie reniya iz rastvorov podzemnogo vyshchelachivaniya uranovykh rud. Sb. dokl. II Mezhdunar. nauch.-prakt. konf. : Aktualnye problemy uranovoy promyshlennosti (Extraction of rhenium from underground leaching solution of uranium ores. II Internationsl scientific theoretical and practical conference: Actual problems of uranium industry). Almaty, 2002. pp. 154—157.
11. Ivanova I. A. Gornyi zhurnal – Mining Journal. 2003. No. 8. pp. 70—71.
12. Zagorodnyaya A. N., Abisheva Z. S., Ponomareva E. I., Bobrova V. V. Tsvetnye Metally – Non-ferrous Metals. 2010. No. 8. pp. 59—62.
13. Chekmarev Alexander M., Trochkina Irina D., Nesterov Yuri V., Maiboroda Andrew B., Ushanova Olga N., Smirnov Nikolay S. Chemistry for sustainable development. 2004. No. 12. pp. 113—117.
14. Zabaznov V. L., Patrin A. P., Zinchenko V. M. and etc. Rezultaty issledovateskikh i opytnykh rabot po poputnomu izvlecheniyu reniya na mestorozhdeniyakh Chu-Sarysuyskoy depressii. II Mezhdunar. nauch.-prakt. konf. Aktualnye problemy uranovoy promyshlennosti : sb. dokl (The results of research and experimental works on the following recovery of rhenium in the Chu-Sarysujsk depression. II Internationsl scientific theoretical and practical conference: Actual problems of uranium industry). Almaty, 2002. pp. 144—147.
15. Volkov V. P., Nikitin N. V., Mikhaylenko M. A. and etc. Promyshlennyy opyt izvlecheniya reniya iz uransoderzhashchikh rastvorov PV s polucheniem chistykh soley perrenata ammoniya. V Mezhdunar. nauch.-prakt. konf. Aktualnye problemy uranovoy promyshlennosti : sb. dokl (Industrial experience of rhenium extraction from uranium-bearing fluids with obtaining pury ammonium perrhenate salts. V Internationsl scientific theoretical and practical conference: Actual problems of uranium industry). Almaty, 2008. pp. 353.
16. Izatt N. E., Bruening R. L., Izatt S. R., Dale J. B. Potential application of molecular recognition technology (MRT) for extraction and recovery of rhenium and molybdenum from uranium liquors. Proc. of the 3^rd Intern. Conf. on Uranium. Uranium 2010 “The future is U”. 40^th Annual Hydrometallurgy Meeting. Saskatoon (Canada), 2010. Vol. 1. pp. 519—529.