| OCR Text |
Show AEC Pilot Plant at Grand Junction Tests Ores for Best Treatment Methods Opened for use late last year almost at New Years was the Atomic Energy Commission's new pilot plant inside the AEC compound at Grand Junction an imposing structure about which the man accompanying visitors around the compound on guided tours ays: Sh! This much is open for discussion, however. It is operated by the National Lead Company for the AEC. At one Grand Junction writer saw the story last December: Any spy worthy of his weekly rubles could probably sit on a hillside overlooking the compound and count the barrels of yellow cake moving in and out. He would, perhaps, come up with the production answer. More probably he would come up with a hole in the head, or, at the very least, earn a speaking acquaintance with the AEC constabulary and a long look at the interior of the nearest federal lockup." It isnt quite as easy as that to determine output of the plant, because each barrel contains a different amount of uranium concentrate. But he would have a fair idea of how many barrels were turned out as though that would do him any good from inside the pokey. There is certain information about the pilot plant that officials of the AEC and the National Lead Co. will talk about. The job of the plant is to develop technological data for prospective uranium millers on the best processes for working particular ores. This one function alone, says the AEC, will probably save the industry many millions of dollars annually. It works something like this: Uranium-- b earing ores vary greatly in types, and it is necessary to determine the particular treatment necessary for any one type of ore before it can be extracted and packed into concentrate. That is the job of the pilot plant, to test ores and to find out the best method of extracting the yellow mineral. Therefore, when a mill is planned to serve a particular mining section, testing already done by the pilot plant at Grand Junction enables the mill operator to set up the type of plant needed to treat res from that mining district. It saves sometimes months of experiments, millions of dollars in time and materials, and permits almost immediate operation of the mill. The pilot plant also enables compilation of cost data useful in designing new mills. In other words, cost of processing certain ores through the AEC pilot plant is i AS THE NEW pilot plant in the AEC compound at Grand Junction appears from one end. The ramp seen leading into the building hauls ore into the plant, where it is subjected to various tests to determine the best treatment methods and to establish the least expensive system of separating the yellow mineral from ore. Uranium ores are shipped to the AEC pilot plant, operated by National Lead Co., from all over the Colorado Plateau. found to be a certain figure, there- ample, the usual standard equip- end and wind up at the other as AEC officials say there are apfore a regular mill set up to pro- ment of the ordinary uranium mill uranium yellow cake in a crush- proximately 27 different types of a ball grinder, settling ing, leaching, washing filtering and cess this same ore can, or should, is found ore. Such a labdo it at a similar cost. tanks, and filtering presses. It settling process. Sodium carbon- oratory as has been erected by the Original cost of the plant at the comprises the alkaline processing ate, an alkaline material, is used AEC at Grand Junction will result AEC compound in Grand Junction system, a commonly used method in the leaching which is simply a in savings of many millions of but the actual inner sanctum dissolving process to free the ura- dollars in determining just how is about $1,225,000, and it actually here are classified. nium from the ore. Compare it to each of the ores, each with its is a uranium mill in methods used However, the overall general pro- the system used by railroaders to many peculiarities, can best b use as a laboratory. It is thought treated and the most economical to be the largest uranium testing cess is not secret. Haw ores come remove lime deposits in boilers into the alkaline system at one they use the leaching process, too. method of doing the job. plant in the free world. Although uranium-bearin- small-size- it was not built for production, it serves as a laboratory for development work in special ore recovery problems. Actually there is nothing secret about the equiprnenti nside the mill, just in the way it is set up and its specified duties. For ex- - 8C g d D. H. SHIELDS Plumbing ' ' ' ' Heating and MINE MILL Various Mine & Milling Equip- ment, Standard or Special Design Headframes, Ore Bins, Skips, Mine Cars to fit your require-do- nt have it we ments. If we will design it. Phone 2431 and RED ROCK LODGE "With tub baths with Showers " Phone 2432 STRUCTURAL FABRICATION Complete Head Frame and Ore Bin Installation in Yellow Cat District. Structural, Plate and Sheet Steel Fabrication Facilities for commercial schools or private construction. Complete design and available. Let us assist you in all your construction service engineering and industrial, problems. SABRE URANIUM CORP. POST OFFICE BOX 1549 GRAND JUNCTION Serving Western Colorado & Eastern Utah . . . With Steel Tanks Water Hauling and Storage Gasoline and Oil Storage Complete Warehouse ENGINEERS FABRICATORS DESIGNERS STEEL WAREHOUSE GRAND JUNCTION STEEL FABRICATING CO. 1101 P.O. Box 3rd Ave. Phone 848 545 Grand Junction, Colorado COLORADO |
