Which uranium ores are processed with sodium carbonate solutions?

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Uranium ores that contain significant amounts of basic minerals, such as calcite or dolomite, are processed using sodium carbonate solutions.1

When these ores are treated with a 0.5 to 1 molar sodium carbonate solution, the alkaline leachant reacts with the uranium to form a readily soluble uranyl carbonate complex ion, [UO2(CO3)3]4−. This process typically involves leaching the ore in air at atmospheric pressure and temperatures between 75 and 80 °C (167 to 175 °F). Once the uranium is leached, the resulting solution is clarified and the uranium can be recovered using ion-exchange resins.12