This processing method is not currently used in the United States for uranium, but it is being used for gold. The liquid then needs further processing to recover the uranium. Similar to the way pouring hot water over crushed coffee beans leaves coffee grounds (waste) and liquid coffee, spraying chemicals over piles of uranium-containing crushed rock leaves the leftover rock and a liquid containing uranium.

Heap leaching: This process uses a liquid to dissolve a chemical.

The uranium is then separated from the chemical solution, solidified, dried and packaged. The ore is brought to a mill, crushed, and ground up before chemicals are added to dissolve the uranium.

Milling: This process takes place at a mill after the ore containing uranium is removed from the Earth through open pit or underground mining.

There are a few processes that can be used to recover uranium: Once the uranium ore is extracted from the Earth, it must be processed to get the uranium from the ore. This is the most commonly used uranium extraction method in the United States. After the chemicals are put into the ground, the liquid containing uranium is pumped to the surface through wells and then processed to recover the uranium.

When uranium is located in an area saturated by groundwater, then in situ leaching may be used instead of conventional mining. In situ leaching: “In situ” is Latin for “in place.” In situ leaching is the process of pumping chemicals into groundwater to dissolve uranium in porous rocks.

The rock is then removed through underground tunnels.

When uranium is found deep underground, miners must dig underground mines to reach it. Open pit mining strips away the topsoil and rock that lie above the uranium ore. Mining: When uranium is near the surface, miners dig the rock out of open pits.Industries in the United States recover uranium from the Earth through mining or chemical extraction. Mine wastes outside the Davis Uranium Mine in Colorado.

Salvage bed in radiation island