In order to improve the efficiency of uranium extraction by the moving bed adsorption tower, Fluent and Edem software were used to simulate the process of uranium extraction by the moving bed adsorption tower. By adjusting the inlet flow rate, and observing the movement of resin particles, the distribution state and the settling of saturated resin in the moving bed adsorption tower, the optimal inlet flow rate was analyzed and obtained. The accuracy of the simulation results was verified by building an experimental platform, and the comparative analysis of the experimental data with the numerical simulation results confirmed the consistency of the two conclusions, thus verifying the accuracy and applicability of the model. The results show that the optimal inlet flow rate is 4 m³/h. At this flow rate, the extraction efficiency of uranium ions is maximized, which provides an important design parameter for the future design of moving bed adsorption tower.

The in-situ leaching wastewater of uranium mining and metallurgy is characterized by large volume, acidity, and low radioactivity, etc. The evaporation ponds of some uranium mining and metallurgical enterprises cannot meet the demand of expanding production. The advantages and disadvantages of forced evaporation technology such as vacuum evaporation, three-effect evaporation and MVR(Mechanical Vapor Recompression) evaporation were compared and analyzed. It was found that, under long-term use, MVR technology has higher efficiency, lower exhaust emission, and lower energy consumption, making it relatively more suitable for in-situ leaching wastewater. Based on MVR technology, a fully integrated control forced evaporation system was designed and constructed. The heating temperature and material of the equipment were determined according to the waste liquid composition. The on-site device achieved automatic control of temperature, pressure, and liquid level, as well as continuous cyclic evaporation. The actual test shows that the evaporation capacity and efficiency coefficient of the device are positively correlated with the evaporation temperature.

Acidic wastewater generated by in-situ leaching uranium poses a serious threat to the groundwater environment. Aiming at the problems of long microbial remediation cycle, low survival rate and insufficient stability of electrokinetic remediation, a remediation method of microelectric field-coupled sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) was proposed. Through simulated wastewater remediation experiments, a three-chamber electrochemical device was constructed to explore the remediation mechanism and optimize the key parameters by combining the electromigration effect with the reduction function of SRB. The results show that the coupled remediation system significantly enhanced the uranium (VI) removal rate (more than 98%), and effectively reduced the concentrations of Ca, Mg, Al, Fe and other metal ions (removal rate>80%) and sulfate content (removal rate > 90%). Under the influence of an electric field, uranyl ions migrate to the cathode region, where they are predominantly reduced by S^2- generated through the metabolic activity of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) and subsequently co-precipitated. A minor fraction is reduced to U(IV) via electrode reactions. Experiments show that the different potential gradients can lead to different pH in the cathode chamber, which affects the remediation effect, with H⁺ leading to the escape of S^2- under acidic conditions (pH<4) and the formation of soluble uranium complexes easily under alkaline conditions (pH>9); with a potential gradient of 0.2~0.4 V/cm, the balancing remediation efficiency, microbial activity and energy economy. This study provides a theoretical basis and technical support for the green and efficient remediation of acidic wastewater from uranium extraction by in-situ leaching technology.

Part of the waste residue generated during the development and utilization of rare earth resources belongs to the associated radioactive solid waste. The safe and effective disposal of this type of waste residue is an urgent problem that needs to be solved in the current development of the rare earth industry. By the method of investigation and analysis, based on the types and sources of rare earths, statistics were conducted on the types, yields and radioactive nuclide activity levels of waste generated during the mining and selection process. Combined with the development plan of the rare earth industry, the stock and increment of rare earth waste in typical provinces(autonomous regions) were preliminarily estimated. And the current status and existing problems of the treatment and disposal of rare earth associated radioactive waste residue were sorted out. On this basis, a strategy for regional landfill disposal is proposed: it is recommended to implement a 7+x model nationwide, and to build rare earth waste residue warehouses in major rare earth provinces(autonomous regions), with reference to the model of Baotou in Inner Mongolia, to collect and dispose of rare earth associated radioactive waste residues in the provinces(autonomous regions). Based on the estimated amount and increment of waste residues, suggestions for the scale of rare earth waste residue disposal in each province(autonomous region) are provided.

The domestic and international situation of digital mine was introduced. Aiming at the problem of information island, taking an in-situ leaching uranium mine in Inner Mongolia as the research object, following the digital uranium mine architecture of CNUC, the digital integrated management and control platform was designed. By analyzing the technical architecture of systems of the mine, the data interface program was researched and developed independently, which is compatible with WebService, OPC and IEC104 standards. Using the data interface program, the values in the database of OA, DCS and electric power system were got and centralized managed. By the digital integrated management and control platform, the digitalization level of in-situ leaching uranium mine was greatly improved.

Taking the deposit west of P0 line in Mengqigur, Xinjiang as the research object, aiming at the problems such as large variation coefficient, buried depth, complex occurrence conditions and difficult large-scale development of the ore body, the integrated mode of “exploration and mining combination” was adopted, which combines exploration drilling and production drilling, had made the utilization rate of exploration drilling reach 61%, saved the input cost of drilling and improved the quality of resources. The construction period of the deposit was shortened, the vegetation damage was reduced, and the green and sustainable development of the mine was achieved. The technology has remarkable economic and environmental benefits, and provides a new method for the development of complex sandstone in-situ leaching uranium ore.

The casing for in-situ leaching uranium needs to take into account the anti-corrosion performance and pressure resistance. In view of the complex geological conditions of dense sandstone uranium deposits, the performance of casing made of three materials, namely unplasticized polyvinyl chloride(UPVC), carbon steel and glass fiber reinforced plastic(GFRP), had been comparatively investigated. The results show that UPVC casing has good corrosion resistance but poor pressure resistance; carbon steel casing has good pressure resistance but is easy to corrode and has high cost; GFRP casing is excellent in corrosion resistance, pressure resistance and tensile strength. In terms of cementing quality, the cementing strength of GFRP casing, carbon steel casing and UPVC casing with cement is 1.80, 2.91 and 0.32 MPa respectively, and the cementing strength of GFRP casing with cement shows obvious advantages. GFRP casing is the best choice for in-situ leaching uranium in dense sandstone uranium deposits, which can meet the requirements of anti-corrosion performance and pressure resistance, and can guarantee the quality and service life of the drilling.

Traditional natural uranium storage relies on manual forklifts or cranes for unloading and storage, which suffers from drawbacks such as high labor intensity, low efficiency, high radiation exposure for personnel, high risk factors, low warehouse utilization, inefficient inventory management, and unreliable accuracy. Aiming to address these issues, an intelligent vertical storage system is designed to achieve efficient vertical storage, automatic retrieval, real-time querying, and rapid inventory.Compared to the stacker crane + shuttle scheme, the dual extended stacker crane scheme offers superior performance in inventory efficiency, network transmission, equipment reliability, maintenance methods, and shelf structure requirements. Based on this analysis of intelligent natural uranium storage processes and optimized equipment selection, a smart vertical storage solution tailored for natural uranium storage has been researched and designed.

During the production of nuclear fuel elements, hydrofluoric acid solutions with high concentration of uranium are generated. According to the requirements of the National Nuclear Safety Administration (Guoheanfa 〔2023〕 No. 158), hydrofluoric acid solutions with uranium concentrations below 0.2 mg/L can be released from regulatory control. To meet national regulatory requirements, this study utilized a hydrofluoric acid-resistant resin functionalized with specific groups to investigate its uranium adsorption performance in uranium-containing hydrofluoric acid under static and dynamic conditions. The resin’s resistance to hydrofluoric acid corrosion, saturated adsorption capacity, desorption efficiency, and reusability were systematically evaluated. The results show that the uranium concentration in hydrofluoric acid treated with this resin is reduced to below 0.2 mg/L, meeting the regulatory release criteria. Furthermore, the resin exhibits no significant decline in uranium adsorption capacity after 10 adsorption-desorption cycles. These findings provide a foundation for subsequent large-scale engineering applications.

Alkaline materials were used to neutralize acidic waste residue. Open and closed experimental environments were set up with different dosing ratios and pH conditions.By monitoring the changes in pH, U, and $\mathrm{HCO}_{3}^{-}$ in the supernatant of the neutralization residue, and analyzing the mineral composition of the neutralization residue using XRD, the effect of CO₂ on U stability during the neutralization process of acidic waste residue was studied. The results show that CO₂ in the surrounding air during neutralization treatment affects the stability of pH and U in the neutralization residue. The fixation of CO₂ by the neutralization residue under alkaline conditions is an acidification process. As the pH of the neutralization residue decreases, the CO₂ fixed in the air transforms into $\mathrm{HCO}_{3}^{-}$, which gradually accumulates and causes the already stabilized U in the neutralization residue is leached out again. The pH adjustment experiment shows that there is no significant correlation between U and pH. The pH range for U leaching is 7.68~8.41, and $\mathrm{HCO}_{3}^{-}$ accumulates significantly in this range. There is a positive correlation between U and $\mathrm{HCO}_{3}^{-}$, with a correlation coefficient of 0.95. The production of $\mathrm{HCO}_{3}^{-}$ is a key factor affecting the stability of U in neutralization residue. When Ca(OH)₂ is added excessively, secondary mineral CaCO₃ will be generated in the neutralization residue. As CO₂ is fixed, the pH of the neutralization residue decreases, and CaCO₃ will partially dissolve and transform into $\mathrm{HCO}_{3}^{-}$. In the open experimental environment, only the 2.5% Ca(OH)₂ experimental group and the 2.5% Mg(OH)₂ experimental group maintain extremely low U leaching levels. After neutralization treatment, the pH of the neutralization residue is low, and very little CO₂ is fixed in the air. $\mathrm{HCO}_{3}^{-}$ which affects U stabilityis hardly produced.