Extraction of uranium(VI) from sulfate leach liquor after iron removal using manganese oxide coated zeolite

The present work deals with purification of uranium(VI) solutions derived from leaching processes of as bearing silicate rocks at Gattar V (GV) area, eastern desert, Egypt. Manganese oxide coated zeolite (MOCZ) was used to minimize the iron content and most of impurities present in the leach liquor by adsorption process. In this concern, different parameters involving adsorption such as pH, MOCZ amount, iron concentration, stirring time and temperature were investigated. Uranium was extracted from treated sulfate leach liquor by solvent extraction using tributyl phosphate (TBP) at Org./Aq. (2:1) of 1.5 M TBP in kerosene for 10 min at room temperature. Under the optimum conditions 85.8% of uranium was extracted. The purified organic phase extract was then subjected to uranium stripping process using 7 M sulfuric acid.