URANIUM OKE PROCESSING

in equilibrium with the radium-group metals (those in the decay series

from Ra226 to Pb206), about 40% of the beta-ray intensity originates from

the uranium-group metals, but only about 2% of the gamma-ray in-

tensity. If one-half of the quantity of each isotope of the radium group

were removed, the total relative gamma intensity would be 51% of what

it woidd be in the case of equilibrium. This includes 2% from the ura-

nium group and 49% from the part of the radium group that remains.

Accordingly, the disequilibrium-correction factor based on gamma-ray

intensity measurements would be 100 4- 51, or 1.96; but the disequi-

librium-correction factor based on beta-ray measurements would be 1.43.

It is therefore generally simpler not to use beta-gamma sensitive radio-

metric equipment for assaying, but to use equipment for measuring

only one type of activity both in the mine and in the laboratory. Usually

gamma-only radiometers are the most convenient.

One difficulty in radiometric assaying is due to the changes in activity

occurring as the result of the loss of radon-222, a radioactive gas, during

ore grinding. One solution is to seal a sample after pulverizing and then

to wait 20 or 30 days for the radon to build up to an approximate equi-

librium amount. The waiting time can be shortened to approximately

one-tenth of the 20 or 30 days if two apparent assay values are taken with

an intervening period of only a few days. The first assay should be at

least four hours after sealing. The correct assay can be estimated by

use of the following formula:

True %e UA = Ai + f(M) (At - Ax)

where %e U308 = the % of U308 that would be present if the uranium

were all present in hat form; Ai = the first apparent assay, in terms of

%e U808; A2 = the second apparent assay, also as %e U308;

= 1/(1 e~XAt); X = decay constant of radon (0.1812/day); and A/

= the lapsed time interval in days.

The upper limit of error associated with the use of this radon-loss

correction formula is

%t = -(1 + e-2XA')1/2/(l - e-)-100

where n is t he number of random pulses counted over a period of time

Dry Physical Processing of Uranium Ores and Compounds

Various uranium ore processing mills, particularly the small ones, are

ordinarily set up to handle one particular type of ore, and cannot take

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