| Summary: | As a techno–economic study, column and vat leaching experiments of low-grade uranium mineralization were implemented to obtain a deep understanding of reagent consumption during the uranium leaching stage. The leaching index (β) is a techno-economical parameter that must be considered during the decision-making stage of project development in order to arrive at an optimal point based on solution consumption and recovery. The results indicate that 21.2 and 32 g of acid are consumed using an acid concentration of 20 and 40 g/L, respectively, to have a 1% increase in the uranium recovery. Also, 1.0 and 1.8 L solutions using 0.1:1 and 0.2:1 sprinkling intensities are consumed, respectively, to have a 1% increase in the uranium recovery during column leaching period. The results of the leaching index (β) of vat leaching indicate that 4.1 m3 solution and 88 kg acid are consumed to have a 1% increase in the uranium recovery after 90 day. The overall consumed acid after this period was 17.6 kg/ton of ore.
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