Extraction of rare earths from iron-rich rare earth deposits

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Journal of Technology & Science -- Fresh data on Mining and Metallurgy are presented in a new report. According to news reporting originating in Randburg, South Africa, by VerticalNews journalists, research stated, “Rare earth metals are classified as critical metals by the United Nations, as they have found wide application in the fabrication of magnets, particularly those used in green energy technologies which mitigate global warming. Processing of ores containing rare earth elements is complex, and differs according to the nature of each ore.”

The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from MINTEK, “In the conventional process, run of mine (ROM) ores are processed in a physical separation plant to produce a concentrate from which rare earth elements are extracted via a hydrometallurgical route. To extract rare earth elements economically, multiple sequential physical and chemical separation steps are used to produce a mixture of rare earth salts, followed by purification and production of metals and alloys. Large iron-rich rare-earth-bearing deposits exist in China, Southern Africa, Canada, and Australia. Although these deposits carry significant reserves of rare earth elements, a number of them are not exploited as no economically viable process exists to do so. The mineralogy of the difficult deposits is complex, with rare earth minerals of particle size less than 20 mu m disseminated in a matrix of iron oxide such as haematite, magnetite, or goethite. A process comprising fine milling for liberation of rare earth minerals, and physical upgrading of the resulting materials, would be technically challenging, inefficient, and not economically viable. Globally, research efforts are directed towards the development of novel methods and new reagents to overcome these difficulties. PyEarth ™ is a novel process currently under development at Mintek, that is aimed at achieving efficient extraction of rare earths from the mineralogically complex iron-rich, rare-earth-bearing ores.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “The process incorporates a preliminary smelting step to reduce the iron to the metallic state and concentrate the rare earths into the slag phase, followed by leaching of the slag and recovery of the rare earths from the leach liquor Tests at the laboratory scale on samples from deposits originating from Southern Africa have prove that the extraction of rare earths from rich, rare-earth-bearing ores using this process is technically feasible, robust, and viable.”

For more information on this research see: Extraction of rare earths from iron-rich rare earth deposits. Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy , 2017;117(8):731-739. Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy can be contacted at: Southern African Inst Mining Metallurgy, 5 Hollard St, 5TH Floor, Chamber Of Mines Building, PO Box 61127, Marshalltown L 2107, South Africa.

Our news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained by contacting K. Bisaka, MINTEK, Randburg, South Africa. Additional authors for this research include I.C. Thobadi and C. Pawlik.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.17159/2411-9717/2017/v117n8a2. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

CITATION: (2018-01-14), Investigators from MINTEK Report New Data on Mining and Metallurgy (Extraction of rare earths from iron-rich rare earth deposits), Journal of Technology & Science, 2686, ISSN: 1944-1908, BUTTER® ID: 014963908

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