Recovery of rare earth metals (REMs) from primary raw material: sulphatization-leaching-precipitation-extraction

ABSTRACT

The present study is devoted to the extraction of rare-earth metals (REMs) from a high-silica ore found in one of the deposits in Kazakhstan. The ore was processed in a mixture with sulfuric acid at 200°C (sulphatization) and subsequently followed by water leaching of the sulphate product (sinter), REMs were extracted into the solution. Precipitation of the REMs-containing hydrate product from the sulfate solution was carried out with sodium hydroxide. In order to obtain the REMs-containing nitrate solution, the precipitate was dissolved in nitric acid. REMs solvent extraction from nitrate solutions was carried out with tributyl phosphate (TBP).

KEYWORDS:

• High-silicon ore
• rare-earth metals
• sulphatization
• leaching
• extraction
• precipitation

Acknowledgments

The study has been completed by means of the grant № 1524/GF4 received from the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan. This collaborative research was based on the results of bilateral contacts of the Institute of Metallurgy and Ore Benefication, Almaty, Kazakhstan and the Mineral-Metal Recovery and Recycling Research Group, Mineral Processing Division, Department of Mining Engineering, Suleyman Demirel University, Isparta, Turkey.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.