What Factors Determine the Price of Uranium?

Uranium is the cornerstone of nuclear war industry and an important source of nuclear energy. ^[1] Due to its instability and valence, people have long believed that there is no metallic uranium in nature, which is also one of the difficulties in analyzing and discovering the existence of metallic uranium in nature. Industrial metal uranium series is also prepared by the calcium (magnesium) metal thermal reduction method of uranium tetrafluoride (UF ₄ ). ^[1]

In 1789, the German chemist MHKlaproth separated from the asphalt uranium ore, and it was named Uranium with a newly discovered planet in 1781, Uranium, and the element symbol was U. In 1841, EMPeligot pointed out that the "uranium" separated by Claprot was actually uranium dioxide. He reduced uranium tetrachloride with potassium and successfully obtained metallic uranium. The radioactive decay of uranium was discovered in 1896. In 1939, the nuclear fission of uranium was discovered by O. Hahn and F. Strassmann. Since then, uranium has become worth hundreds of times.

Metal uranium refers to uranium in a metallic state. The surface has a silver-white metallic luster, a melting point of 1130 ° C, and a thermal conductivity of 0.25 W / (cm · ° C) at 100 ° C. Metal uranium is mostly used as the fuel core of graphite or heavy water type production rod-shaped fuel elements, and aluminum, magnesium and its alloys with smaller neutron absorption cross sections are used as cladding materials. The alloy of uranium with zirconium, molybdenum, niobium and many other metals has good mechanical properties, corrosion resistance and radiation resistance. The chemical nature of metallic uranium is very lively and can ignite spontaneously. Oxidizing acids, such as nitric acid, can rapidly dissolve uranium. Industrial metal uranium is prepared by the thermal reduction of calcium (magnesium) metal from uranium tetrafluoride (UF ₄ ).

Uranium is widely distributed in various geological bodies of the earth. Because of its active chemical properties, uranium usually exists in the state of +3, +4, +5, +6 valence compounds, of which +4 and +6 uranium compounds are stable. Tetravalent uranium is usually formed as crystalline uranium (or pitch uranium ore) (UO ₂ ) in magma, hydrothermal, sedimentary and metamorphic products, while hexavalent state is usually formed as uranyl ion (UO ₂ ²⁺ ) compounds. It is soluble in water or forms secondary uranium minerals such as sulfate, carbonate, vanadate and phosphate under the conditions of deposition, evaporation and oxidation. Therefore, uranium is generally considered to exist in the form of U ⁴⁺ and U ⁶⁺ valences under natural conditions.

Metal uranium is susceptible to oxidation and formation of oxides on the surface or in an environment rich in oxygen. Due to this characteristic of uranium, it is difficult to find zero-valent metal uranium by conventional chemical valence analysis methods. Changes in pH and temperature conditions Will cause changes in the valence state of uranium. Therefore, since the discovery of the element uranium for more than 200 years, the scientific community has also formed a common understanding that there is no metallic uranium in nature.

From the perspective of space, China's uranium deposits are distributed in the south and north regions. The north is represented by sandstone-type deposits in the Ili and Ordos regions; the south is typically represented by granite-type deposits in Guangdong and Jiangxi. It is understood that there are two large uranium bases in Xiazhuang and Zhuguang in northern Guangdong, and there are many factories and mines such as Wengyuan Uranium Mine and Yanzhou Uranium Mine.

1. Geological characteristics of uranium deposit endowment

(1) The level of uranium deposits is an important factor affecting the economic benefits of mining and smelting;

(2) Depth of uranium ore body burial;

(3) the size and distribution of uranium ore bodies;

(4) Technical conditions for uranium deposit mining;

(5) The complexity of the uranium ore composition.

2. Uranium mining methods

(1) Mining methods;

(2) Exploitation of mineral deposits.

3. Uranium ore processing technology

Uranium ore can be divided into acid ore and alkaline ore due to different hydrometallurgical processes. If it is leached by acid method, its cost is much lower than that by alkali method.

4.Mining methods

Due to the limitation of the geological conditions of the deposit, 75% of the underground mining uses the filling method, the technical equipment is poor, the labor productivity is low, and the mining cost is high.

5. Mine and water smelting plant setting

The ore mined in some mines cannot be processed on-site, and the ore is transported long distances across provinces and regions. The high ore transportation cost directly affects the economic benefits of enterprises.

1. Leaching uranium is an important way to improve the economic benefits of natural uranium production

(1) Development advantages of in-situ leaching uranium mining technology;

(2) The use of potential uranium resources includes strong economics;

(3) In-situ leaching of uranium has many advantages over conventional mining and smelting.

2.Providing more low-cost uranium resources is the material basis for improving the economic benefits of natural uranium

(1) Strengthen the geological research and survey of sandstone-type uranium deposits in China, and provide more uranium resources suitable for in-situ leaching of uranium;

(2) Strengthen the investigation of large and rich hard uranium deposits;

(3) Attention to cooperation with foreign countries or independent exploration and mining of foreign uranium resources.

3. Strengthening the technology management and innovation of leaching uranium extraction is an important platform to improve the economic benefits of natural uranium

(1) Strengthen the geological research and test work of leaching and leaching uranium deposits;

(2) Improve the level of heap leaching technology

4. Pay attention to the rational layout of mines and water smelters

After years of technological innovation and innovation in the mining and smelting system, in addition to sandstone-type uranium deposits, in-situ leaching and mining of uranium, other mines that produce hard ore have formed production lines for heap leaching of uranium. Uranium ore is no longer shipped out to hydrometallurgical plants, but instead, a leaching plant and hydrometallurgical plant near the mine are used to produce natural uranium products.