Abstract
Monazite is conventionally processed using caustic conversion and hydrochloric acid leaching in industry, to recover the rare earth elements (REE). Understanding the deportment of uranium decay chain radionuclides is of particular importance for product quality and occupational health and safety (OH&S) purposes. Here, the deportment of uranium decay chain radionuclides during the alkaline treatment route was investigated for the first time, using analytical techniques. Significant quantities of 226Ra, 210Pb and 227Ac were found to report to the rare earth chloride liquor. Subsequent impurity removal treatment generally resulted in the elimination of more than 85 % of radionuclides contained in the chloride liquor.
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Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank the following people for their assistance with this work: Brian Young and Kathryn Prince for providing SEM/QEMSCAN analysis, Chris Hilliard and Nicol Londono for assistance with sample preparation and Damian Conroy and Patrick Yee for providing ICP analysis.
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Anvia, M., Brown, S.A. & McOrist, G.D. The deportment of uranium decay chain radionuclides during processing of an Australian monazite concentrate using a caustic conversion route. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 303, 1393–1398 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-014-3483-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-014-3483-5