Status and progress of research on uranium-containing wastewater treatment by phosphate mineral fixation

Abstract

The harmless and resourceful treatment of uranium-containing wastewater generated from uranium and uranium-polymetallic ore mining and metallurgy is a hot research topic in the field of nuclear resources and environment. This paper reviewed the current research status and progress of uranium phosphate mineral solidification method to treat uranium-containing wastewater. The solidification principles and effects of uranium solidification by soluble phosphate, uranium solidification by phosphorus-containing natural minerals,uranium solidification by synthetic phosphate adsorbent materials,and uranium solidification by bio-mediated organic phosphorus were introduced. Compared with other mineral uranium solidification processes,uranium solidification by phosphate minerals had the advantages of high efficiency,low cost and high product stability. The addition of metal cations in the process of phosphate uranium fixation determined the process of uranium fixation and the type of products. Among metal phosphate uranium fixation minerals,variable calcium uranium mica had the highest dissolution stability,which provided a new idea for the removal and recovery of uranium in low concentration uranium-containing solutions by phosphate mineral solidification.

Keywords

• uranium
• uranium-containing wastewater
• immobilization as minerals
• uranium consolidation mechanism
• mineralization