In Situ Leaching of Uranium: Principles, Practices, and Environmental Management
A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 184
Special Issue Editors
Interests: in situ leaching uranium mining; radiation protection and environmental conservation; ore deposit geochemistry; metallogenic dynamics
Interests: uranium bioleaching; waste resource recovery; mine environmental remediation
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Uranium is a crucial raw material for nuclear power generation. In situ leaching (ISL) of uranium dominates the uranium production industry, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the world's total uranium output. ISL offers significant advantages such as low production costs, suitability for mining low-grade uranium ore, and minimal damage to the surface ecological environment. Over the past two decades, significant progress has been made in the research and development of theories and technologies for uranium in situ leaching. Nevertheless, numerous theoretical and technical issues remain to be further studied, mainly including the mechanisms of mineral dissolution and solute migration during the in situ leaching process, the multi-field coupling dynamics of natural groundwater flow field–artificial injection and extraction flow field–chemical field–physical field, the control of leaching range and groundwater pollution, well field technology, prevention, control and unblocking technologies for borehole clogging, permeability enhancement and in situ leaching technologies for low-permeability deposits, migration, extraction and comprehensive recovery technologies of associated elements during the in situ leaching process, operation and management of in situ leaching uranium mines, remediation of groundwater contaminated by closed and decommissioned well fields, and digital construction of in situ leaching uranium mines. These issues call for joint efforts in theoretical and technological innovation research to promote the sustainable development of uranium in situ leaching.
Prof. Dr. Kaixuan Tan
Prof. Dr. Xuegang Wang
Prof. Dr. Gongxin Chen
Guest Editors
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Keywords
- in situ leaching of uranium
- multi-field coupling dynamics
- groundwater pollution control and remediation
- comprehensive recovery of associated elements
- borehole plugging and anti-plugging/unplugging
- permeability enhancement
- operation and management
- digitalized in situ leaching mine
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