Selective concentration of uranium from bioleach liquor of low-grade uranium ore by nanofiltration process

Three commercially available nanofiltration membranes (PES-2, NF-1 and NF-2) were employed for selective concentration of uranium from a bioleach liquor of low-grade uranium ore. Performance of the membranes under a variety of operational conditions was evaluated by dead-end and cross-flow filtration experiments. Results showed that the NF-2 membrane had high uranium rejection ((>)85%), appropriate permeate flux, and acceptable fouling propensity. Also, NF-2 was more selective than the two other membranes. In general, the nanofiltration process is recommended to be applied in practice for extraction of uranium from the bioleach liquor of low-grade uranium ore.