| Title |
Selective removal of Fe impurities in the recovery of rare earth elements from carbonatite tailings using chemical routes |
| ID_Doc |
24551 |
| Authors |
Sarker, SK; Pownceby, M; Yadav, S; Bruckard, W; Haque, N; Singh, N; Pramanik, BK |
| Title |
Selective removal of Fe impurities in the recovery of rare earth elements from carbonatite tailings using chemical routes |
| Year |
2024 |
| Published |
|
| DOI |
10.1016/j.hydromet.2023.106249 |
| Abstract |
The increasing demand for rare earth elements (REEs) has led to the exploration of mining tailings as a potential secondary source. This study offers novel insights into the recovery of REEs from Fe-rich mine tailings sourced from a weathered carbonatite deposit. The REEs were recovered by selectively removing Fe impurities after acid-leaching. The paper details the comprehensive methodologies employed, including initial hydrochloric acid leaching and variable optimization such as acid concentration, liquid-to-solid ratio, temperature, and time. An alkali pre-treatment using NaOH was also investigated to assess its impact on the efficiency of REEs recovery. The study reveals that pH plays a significant role in the selective removal of Fe impurities and offers avenues for the production of high-purity, industry-grade REEs. The work is particularly ground-breaking in its exploration of selective Fe removal using a combination of dilute ammonium hydroxide and ammonium chloride. Through this method, a significant milestone was achieved: the precipitated solid primarily contained Fe (>96%), with minimal loss of REEs (only 0.22%) at a solution pH of 3.25 at 40 degrees C. This study is the first to demonstrate such high selectivity in the removal of Fe from acid leach liquors of this nature. |
| Author Keywords |
Critical minerals; Rare earth elements; Mining tailings; Circular economy |
| Index Keywords |
Index Keywords |
| Document Type |
Other |
| Open Access |
Open Access |
| Source |
Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED) |
| EID |
WOS:001138167600001 |
| WoS Category |
Metallurgy & Metallurgical Engineering |
| Research Area |
Metallurgy & Metallurgical Engineering |
| PDF |
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