Bioleaching of Uranium Tailings as Secondary Sources for Rare Earth Elements Production

Tailings from inactive uranium mine sites represent a potential secondary source of rare earth elements (REEs). For this study, two tailings (DT and RAT) restored in Ontario, Canada, were used. Bioleaching experiments conducted with mix native sulfur- iron-oxidizing bacteria to test the solubilization REEs, U Th at different temperatures (20, 30 40 °C). The selective recovery REEs bioleaching solution was evaluated using ion exchange resins. mineralogical characterization revealed that DT mainly composed quartz, pyrite, gypsum silicates, whereas RAT quartz. maximum heavy light (HREEs LREEs, respectively), reached 54%, 6%, 60% 51% for after 35 days pH 2, T = °C pulp density 10% (w/v). Higher extraction yields obtained DT, 58% HREEs, 14% 85% 89% solubilized under same conditions. use Lewatit TP272 resin Sc (94%) (99%) followed by SP112 (57%) (81% LREEs 65% HREEs) seemed promising method co-extraction key solution.