GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

Detailed explanation-1: -Heap leaching is an extraction process by which chemicals (usually sulfuric acid) are used to extract the economic element from ore which has been mined and placed in piles on the surface.

Detailed explanation-2: -Uranium extraction from ore involves the use of acid or base to break own and extract uranium from the raw ore. These processes require significant amounts of acids or bases, the most commonly used being sulfuric acid and sodium carbonate, respectively.

Detailed explanation-3: -The ore is transported to a mill, where it is crushed and undergoes a chemical process to remove the uranium. The uranium is concentrated to produce a material called “yellowcake” because of its yellowish color. Alternatively, uranium may be recovered from the ore using a heap leach process.

Detailed explanation-4: -Uranium can be recovered in two ways: by conventional mining of the rock (ore), or by using strong chemicals to dissolve uranium from the rock that is still in the ground and pumping it to the surface.

Detailed explanation-5: -The primary uranium ore mineral is uraninite (UO2) (previously known as pitchblende). A range of other uranium minerals can be found in various deposits. These include carnotite, tyuyamunite, torbernite and autunite.