Editing Uranium (section)

===Production and mining===

{{Main|Uranium mining}}

Worldwide production of uranium in 2021 was 48,332 [[tonne]]s, of which 21,819 t (45%) was mined in [[Kazakhstan]]. Other important uranium mining countries are [[Namibia]] (5,753&nbsp;t), [[Canada]] (4,693&nbsp;t), [[Australia]] (4,192&nbsp;t), [[Uzbekistan]] (3,500&nbsp;t), and [[Russia]] (2,635&nbsp;t).<ref name="WNA-WUM">{{cite web |url=https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/nuclear-fuel-cycle/mining-of-uranium/world-uranium-mining-production.aspx |title=World Uranium Mining |publisher=World Nuclear Association |access-date=31 January 2023 }}</ref>

Uranium ore is mined in several ways: [[open-pit mining|open pit]], [[underground mining (soft rock)|underground]], [[in-situ leach]]ing, and [[borehole mining]].{{sfn|Emsley|2001|p=479}} Low-grade uranium ore mined typically contains 0.01 to 0.25% uranium oxides. Extensive measures must be employed to extract the metal from its ore.{{sfn|Seaborg|1968|p=774}} High-grade ores found in [[Athabasca Basin]] deposits in [[Saskatchewan]], Canada can contain up to 23% uranium oxides on average.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.investcom.com/moneyshow/uranium_athabasca.htm |title=Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan |access-date=4 September 2009}}</ref> Uranium ore is crushed and rendered into a fine powder and then leached with either an [[acid]] or [[alkali]]. The [[leachate]] is subjected to one of several sequences of precipitation, solvent extraction, and ion exchange. The resulting mixture, called [[yellowcake]], contains at least 75% uranium oxides U{{sub|3}}O{{sub|8}}. Yellowcake is then [[calcined]] to remove impurities from the milling process before refining and conversion.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F7p7W1rykpwC&pg=PA75 |pages=74–75 |title=Hydrometallurgy in extraction processes |volume=1 |author=Gupta, C. K. |author2=Mukherjee, T. K. |name-list-style=amp |publisher=CRC Press |date=1990 |isbn=978-0-8493-6804-2}}</ref>

Commercial-grade uranium can be produced through the [[redox|reduction]] of uranium [[halide]]s with [[alkali metal|alkali]] or [[alkaline earth metal]]s.<ref name="LANL" /> Uranium metal can also be prepared through [[electrolysis]] of {{chem|KUF|5}} or
[[Uranium tetrafluoride|{{chem|UF|4}}]], dissolved in molten [[calcium chloride]] ({{chem|CaCl|2}}) and [[sodium chloride]] ([[sodium|Na]]Cl) solution.<ref name="LANL" /> Very pure uranium is produced through the [[thermal decomposition]] of uranium [[halide]]s on a hot filament.<ref name="LANL" />

<gallery mode=packed heights=200px>
U production-demand.png|World uranium production (mines) and demand<ref name="WNA-WUM" />
Yellowcake.jpg|alt=A yellow sand-like rhombic mass on black background.|[[Yellowcake]] is a concentrated mixture of uranium oxides that is further refined to extract pure uranium.
Uranium production, OWID.svg|Uranium production 2015, in tonnes<ref>{{cite web |title=Uranium production |url=https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/uranium-production |website=Our World in Data |access-date=6 March 2020}}</ref>
</gallery>