Sorption Concentration of Uranium and Vanadium from Productive Solutions of Black Shale Ores

This study examines the sorption and desorption processes of uranium and vanadium from acidic solutions produced during the processing of black shale ores in Southern Kazakhstan. Such ores are considered unconventional sources of strategic metals and are of particular interest under the conditions of limited traditional mineral resources. To evaluate efficiency, several anion-exchange resins (AMP, AV-17, A-140, and Amberlite) were tested, allowing a comparative analysis of their sorption capacity and selectivity. The AMP resin demonstrated the most favorable performance, providing high uranium uptake and satisfactory vanadium recovery in sulfuric acid media. Desorption experiments confirmed the possibility of efficient uranium transfer into the eluate, which is of great importance for subsequent concentration and purification stages. Vanadium recovery was limited due to the coexistence of different ionic forms of the element. The obtained results confirm the potential of sorption technology as a reliable stage for uranium concentration and indicate the need to apply additional methods, such as solvent extraction or selective precipitation, to enhance the completeness of separation and recovery of the target components.