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INB Caetité - Uranium Mining and Processing
One of the major uranium producing sites in Brazil is located near the Municipalities of Caetité and Lagoa Real, in the Southeast of Bahia State.
Its characteristics - contents and dimensions of reserves estimated in 100.000 tons - of pure uranium oxide, without any other minerals of interest associated to it - were determinant in INB´s option for its exploration. This quantity is sufficient to supply the Nuclear Station "Almirante Álvaro Alberto" (Angra I, II and III Plants) for 100 years. The research and prospection activities may increase it substantially.
With a production capacity of 400 tons/year of uranium concentrate, INB's goal for the next few years is its duplication to 800 tons/year.
This uranium ore processing unit is a modular mineral-industrial enterprise concern designed with the purpose of developing the uranium use in approximately 33 occurrences forming the currently known reserve.
THE PROCESS
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The uranium ore processing is lixiviation in piles (static). After being crushed, the ore is placed in piles and irrigated with a sulfuric acid solution for the removal of uranium contained therein.
This technique spares the grinding, mechanical agitation and filtration phases enabling, besides a significant reducion in investments, a lower cost operation, in view of the reduced number of equipment and operational units involved. The uranium concentration is made through the extraction process by organic solvents followed by precipitation separation, drying and packing in drums.
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As to the environmental aspect, the absence of fine solid waste needs no dams for their contention, thus minimizing the already reduced impact; and also for the lower utilization of chemical inputs. The project main aspect is the possibility of recycling - total return of liquid effluents to the process, ensuring the absence of release of effluents to the environment.
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