Articles

Water management is a critical challenge for uranium processing operations in arid regions, where industrial activities depend heavily on limited groundwater resources. This study evaluates the performance of the filter cloth washing water recycling circuit at the Aïr Mining compagny (SOMAÏR) uranium processing plant in Niger and identifies the principal factors limiting continuous water reuse. The investigation combined operational water-flow monitoring, historical production records, field sampling from Pit 3, physicochemical characterization of recycled water, suspended-solids determination, and particle-size analysis. Under normal operating conditions, the recycling circuit achieved an average recycling efficiency of 57.5%, corresponding to approximately 850 m³/day of industrial water savings. The recycled water exhibited a density of 0.994 g/cm³, pH of 2.53, oxidation- reduction potential of 480 mV, and suspended-solids concentration of 2052 mg/L. Particle-size analysis showed that approximately 97.6% of the suspended particles were smaller than 200 μm, allowing a substantial fraction of solids to bypass the 250 μm vibrating-drainer screen and accumulate in Decanter 1. Progressive sediment accumulation, together with screen deterioration and mechanical limitations, reduced clarification capacity and ultimately interrupted the recycling circuit. Engineering measures including improved fine-particle separation, optimization of screen aperture, systematic screen maintenance, improved sludge removal, and continuous monitoring are therefore proposed. These measures could enhance recycling reliability, reduce freshwater consumption, and improve water- management sustainability at SOMAÏR.

The tensile strength is an imperative properties and essential indications consumers’ look out for in purchasing a quality fabric. The objective of this study was to examine key soap on tensile strength in three washing cycles of selected Printex fabrics in Ghana. Quantitatively, the study adopted both experimental and factorial research designs. Materials for the study consisted of three fabrics with black prints and white as base colour were purchased from the market. These three fabrics had the same designs but two had different fabric finishes and the third one had no finish (plain, embossed and plisse). Six yards each of the Printex black and white fabrics with embossed, plisse and a third one which did not have any special fabric finish were used for the study. Key soap purchased from the Ghanaian market, and standard soap from Ghana Standard Authority was used for the study. Purposive and simple random techniques were used to select materials for the study. The main research instrument for the testing tensile strength was Universal tensile testing machine. Data were analysed with both descriptive and inferential statistics. The one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test the hypothesis formulated to guide the study. The study revealed that continuous washing had degrading effects on the tensile strength. The implication is that continuous washing weakens the internal strengths of fabrics which cause them to fail or weakens their resistance to stress test. The study also found that continuous washing had degrading effects on the tensile strength of the selected fabrics. It is recommended that the Ghana Standards Authority should encourage soap producers to get their chemical compositions as close to those of the standardised soap as possible.