Research on heap leaching key parameters and kinetics of a hard rock uranium mine

Based on comprehensive mineralogical characterization and chemical composition analysis, systematic column leaching tests were conducted to evaluate uranium extraction performance. The optimized conditions – including a particle size of −10 mm, an initial sulfuric acid concentration of 30 g L −1 during acidification, an irrigation intensity of 20 L m −2 h −1 , and a leachate pH maintained within 1.8–2.0 – yielded a maximum uranium leaching efficiency of 89.67 %. A kinetic model derived from the Bernoulli equation was developed to describe leaching behavior under varying particle sizes and irrigation rates, demonstrating excellent agreement with experimental data. This validated model provides robust theoretical support for process optimization and production scheduling in industrial-scale heap leaching operations.