(1) Overview:

Carnotite (K2(UO2)2(VO4)2·3H
vanadium bearing ore mineral
 Sam W

H2O) is a unique uranium and

l. It was mined for uranium
 Commercial Viability
Wilson - Denison University -
y of Carnotite as a Nuclear Fu
Mineralogy - December 12, 2

(4) Visual Description:

- Bright Yellow Color
the most distinguisha
uel
2008 - wilson_sb

(8) Processing Carnotite into

r- Carnotite is processed like a
able the carnotite must be broken
o Nuclear Fuel:
any other uranium yielding mineral. F
n down into fine enough particles tha
First,
at it
and vanadium and is found pri
United States. This poster will
tite as a commercial uranium y
into fuel for nuclear reactors. I
processing and refinement. La
of carnotite to uraninite and lo

(2) Chemical Information:

Using a sample from Temple M
showed the break down to be:
% of sample Pur
UO3 62.26
SO2 0.26
V 2O 5 20.57
Fe2O3 0.55
CuO 0.07
MgO 0.3
 imarily in the southwestern
l look at the viability of carno-
yielding ore for processing
It will cover the method of
astly, it will compare the yields
ooks at carnotite’s overall vi-

Mountain, Utah, an analysis

:
re Carnotite (5)
63.41 Car
call
20.16 San
Mo
tion
 Where is it found?
rnotite is found in the southwestern p
ly found along the southern part of th
n Juan counties in Utah and Montrose
ost of the ore deposits are in the Salt W
n. The layer of ore that bears carnotit
 attribute to this mine
- Heavy feeling
- No observable cleav
- Powders easily in ha
- Yellow Streak
- Radioactive - At a se
of 3 on Geiger counte
measures .75 mR/h
- DOES NOT GLOW

parts of the United States. It is specifi

he Utah-Colorado border in Grand an
e and San Miguel counties in Colorad
Wash Sandstone of the Morrison form
te is between 20 and 80 feet thick, wi
eral can be suspended in a liquid
normally sulfuric acid, whic
vage availability. This step remov
ands creates a slurry of uranium,
other rock materials, in this
etting to separate and remove thes
er, There are many different me
providing different cost ben
W tions. After the solids are rem
rified. The uranium stays in
might remain are removed a
i- part of the process is to prec
nd then dry out the solid into a
do. ammonia, magnesia, caustic
ma- precipitated uranium is cake
ith bind the cake. The last step
d. That liquid, added in the next step,
ch is chosen for its low cost and wide
ves the uranium from the carnotite an
vanadium, acid, water, and particles
case, usually sandstone. The next ste
se solids from the uranium rich liquid
ethods to for separation, with each on
nefits ratios based on the processing c
moved, the liquid is concentrated and
the liquid, but other contaminates th
and cycled out in the raffinate. The la
cipitate the uranium from the solution
cake. The uranium precipitated by ad
c soda, or hydrogen peroxide. Finally
ed together, often using lime or iron t
is to dry out the cake, usually using a
, is
e
nd
of the
ep is
d.
ne
condi-
d pu-
hat
ast
n and
dding
y, the
to
a
CaO 0.66
Na2O 0.16
K 2O 10
H 2O 4.9
insol 0.04
This shows that in nature, ther
trace compounds in the minera
normally be found in the pure
note that uranium is the most c
but vanadium is a major mino
decreasing the uranium yield w

(3) Structure:
This shows uranium tetrahe-
dra (yellow) linked to vana-
dium octahedra (tan) in lay-
 an a

10.44 (6)
5.99 Car
turn
re are bunch of diu
Table: Mineral Data
al that would not Publishing, version 1, ing
© 2001-2005
element. Also ene
common part of the mineral, acq
ority part of the mineral, thus from
when refined .

Mineral Structure Diagram (7)

Car
the
ura
 averages depth 50 feet .

Carnotite Uses:
rnotite was first mined for its radium
th
n of the 20 century, radium was use
um’s special properties and in early X
g vanadium steel. Latter in the Centur
ergy scientist for its uranium. Of the r
quired for the Manhattan Project, 52,0
m a stockpile of carnotite in Moab, U

Yield Comparison to Pitchblende:

rnotite is on average
th
e 4 highest yielding
anium mineral. It has
m and vanadium, not its uranium. At th
ed in luminous paints that required ra-
X-rays. The vanadium was used for m
ry, carnotite drew the interest of atom
roughly 2.6 million pounds of uraniu
000 pounds of it, or about 2 percent c
Utah.
 700ºC oven. However, this h
it produces a uranium dust e
clear fuel, these cakes are co
easily vaporizes. This gas ei
he centrifuge to extract the U-2
- clear fuel, in the form of a m
mak- and then transported to a rea
mic
um
came Viability of Carnotite:
Carnotite is not a very viabl
than other uranium yielding
ing the unit cost per ton of r
Also, with most of the carno
provides additional costs of
rial to anywhere in the worl
uraninite fields in Canada ca
final straw is that right now,
has a few problems since it costs a lo
exhaust, which is hazardous. To creat
onverted to uranium hexafluoride, wh
ither goes through gas diffusion or a
235 isotope, the isotope necessary in
metal. This metal is formed into fuel r
actor and used as fuel.

le mineral to mine. It has a lower yiel

g minerals such as pitchblende, thus m
refined uranium higher and uncompet
otite limited to the southwestern US,
transportation of the raw or refined m
ld, bar the western US. Furthermore,
an just as easily supply the same area
, about 50% of the worlds uranium de
ot and
te nu-
hich
gas
nu-
rods

ld
mak-
titive.
this
mate-
the
a. The
e-
ers. The layers are con-
nected by H2O molecules.
This shows how the mole-
cules can easily be broken
down in a solution of acid
and refined.

Diagram: Dennis Tasa. CrystalViewer, CD with Mineralogy and

ogy. American Mineralogical Society of America, 2008.
 onl
wh
abo
is s
min
car
ple
the
sep
pro
not
d Optical Mineral-
ma
 ly about 54% uranium
here Pitchblende has
out 87% uranium. This
shown in Table 1. The
neral formulas show
rnotite has other com-
ex elements and thus
ere is more volume of other material t
parate in refining. This will increase c
oducts are desirable, then they can be
t destroy them. This would reduce the
ake it a more viable ore to mine.
 Table: C.R. Edwards and A.J. Oliver. “Uranium Processing: A R
of Current Methods and Technology.” JOM, September 2000: 12
to
complexity and costs. However, if the
e sold, assuming the refining process
e unit cost of uranium for carnotite an
 mand is being met with mili
ing the demand for mined u
when these stockpiles are de
new power plants come onli

Review Sources:
2. Chenoweth, William L. “Raw Materials Activitie
sources 6, no. 1 (1997): 33-41.
Coffin, R.C. “Radium, Uranium, and Vanadium D
e by- tin 16 (1921): 150-197.
Edwards, C.R. and A.J. Oliver. “Uranium Proces
does 2000: 12-20.
nd Tasa, Dennis. CrystalViewer, CD with Mineralog
2008.
Weir, Dorris Blackman for Department of the Int
rado Plateau.” Geological Survey Bulletin 988-B
 itary surplus stockpiles, thus further r
uranium. However, the prospects incre
epleted in the near future, but only if
ine than are being decommissioned.

es of the Manhattan Project on the Colorado Plateau.” Nonrenew

Deposits of Southwestern Colorado.” Colorado Geological Surv

ssing: A Review of Current Methods and Technology.” JOM, Sep

gy and Optical Mineralogy. American Mineralogical Society of A

terior. “Geological Guide to Prospecting for Carnotite Deposits o

B. Washington DC: GPO, 1952.
reduc-
ease
more

wable Re-

vey, Bulle-

ptember

America,

on Colo-