With the increasing demand for energy, nuclear energy has been developing rapidly. The quantitative detection and qualitative identification of uranium (U) are of great significance for the comprehensive and efficient use of U resources and the control of nuclear and radioactive substances. In this study, the detection of U is divided into liquid sample detection, solid sample detection, gas sample detection, and industrial detection from the perspectives of the sample state and detection environment. For liquid samples, the advantages and disadvantages of various detection methods are summarized. The application of different detection methods for different samples is also analyzed. For solid samples, the application of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy and X-ray fluorescence in powder compaction and U-containing solid samples is presented. The problems of low instrumental resolution and poor accuracy of quantitative analyses are discussed, and methods to solve the above problems are proposed. For gas samples, UF₆ can be analyzed for U isotopes using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy. U abundance (²³⁵U/(²³⁵U + ²³⁸U)) is obtained quickly, directly and without the need for sample preparation. Finally, the application of remote detection and in situ detection techniques in industrial detection of U is also discussed in this study. In the future, rapid, high-precision and portable U detection methods can be developed by coupling multiple detection methods to meet the needs of different scenarios.

Overlapping uranium and coal resources are widely distributed in the basins of China. The current uranium–coal coordinated mining model, mining interaction, and multi-phase and multi-field coupling mechanisms remain unclear, thereby substantially restricting the mining of overlapping uranium and coal resources. This article reviews the overlapping uranium–coal mining technology and conditions, summarizes the main problems faced by the coordinated mining of coexisting uranium–coal resources, proposes a dynamic coordinated mining technology system for the entire life cycle of coexisting uranium–coal resources, and describes the multiphase and multifield coordinated mining of co-associated uranium–coal resources. The multifield coupling mechanism clarifies the solid–liquid–gas three-phase spatiotemporal coupling effects of the stress, fracture, seepage, geochemical, pressure, and microbial fields, and explains the safe and efficient mining technology of uranium and coal resources, and the coordinated mining and isolation technology of uranium and coal. “Trinity” pollution prevention and control technology and other key research directions are discussed to promote green, efficient, joint, and coordinated mining of uranium and coal.