SELECTION OF METHODS FOR SEPARATING OF

RARE EARTH MINERALS

By Ph.D. Natalia Petrovskaya

THE MAIN RARE EARTH MINERALS:

PHOSPHATES: monazite, xenotime; churchite; rhabdophane
ARBONATES: bastnaesite, parisite
OXIDES: brannerite, loparite, pyrochlore,
euxenite, fergusonite, perovskite, davidite

aeschynite,

samarskite,

FLUORIDES: synchisite (y), ittrofluorite

SILICATES: gadolinite, ittrialite, allanite, eudialyte, thortveitite, hevkinite
SULPHATES: chukhrovite
BORATES: cappelenite
TUNGSTATES: yttrotungstite

During the processing of minerals containing rare earth mineral,

plants use the following types of separation:

Gravity separation

Magnetic separation

Electrical separation

Chemical separation

Special methods of separation

Flotation

THE RAW MATERIAL FOR THE EXTRACTION OF REE

Rare earth mineral that form their own deposits:
Bastnaesite
Monazite
Xenotime

To extract the rare earth elements industrial importance are the

following minerals:

Loparite
Apatite
Euxenite
Gadolinite

Rare earth elements are extracted from the following minerals too:
Churchite
Rhabdophane
Parisite

 Fergusonite
Samarskite
Allanite

Rare earth elements can be extracted also from these minerals:

Pyrochlore
Perovskite
Titanite (or sphene)
Ferritorit
Phosphorit

Rare earth elements are contained in uranium minerals:

Uraninite
Davidite

Wastes from production, which contain significant quantities of rare

earth mineral:

Phosphogypsum, cakes of tungsten production

Waste production of titanium
Middling products of processing of uranium ores
Ash from burning coal

Rare earth elements don't accumulate equally in all minerals.

In the scandium, zirconium and manganese minerals may be present
only the Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu elements.
In the uranium minerals mainly there are the Y, Dy, Ga elements.
In the thorium minerals, the elements of the cerium group (La, Ce, Pr,
Nd, Sm, Eu).

 The composition of strontium and barium minerals may include only

the elements La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu.

The minerals, which contain predominantly the cerium group

elements (Sc, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, (Eu, Gd)):

Monazite
Bastnaesite
Loparite
Parisite
Aeschynite
Allanite

The minerals of cerium group contain 30-59 % CeO; 15-30 % LaO; 10-20
% NdO; 5-8 % PrO.

The minerals, which contain predominantly the yttrium group

elements (Y, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, (Eu, Gd)):

Fergusonite
Xenotime
Samarskite
Gadolinium

The minerals of yttrium group contain 20-80 % YO; 3-12 % EuO, 4-15 %
DyO.

REM is extracted from these ores (as associated components):

Apatite ore
Titanium-zirconium ore
Tantalum-niobium ore

The main companies producing REE:

Molycorp Inc. (Mountain Pass, United States)

Grace Davison (WR Grace & Co, United States)
Samtoku America Inc. (United States)
Inner Mongolia Rare Earth Science & Technology Development
Co. (China)
Zibo Jia Hua (China)
Gansu Rare Earth Corp. (China)
Xinwei Group (China)
Xmwei Group (China)
Primet LLC (China)
Jiangym Jia Hua (China)
Zibo Jia Hua (China)
Yue Long Non-ferrous Metal (China)
Rhodia Electronics and Catalyses (Baotou Rhodia Rare Earth
Co Liyang Rhodia, France)
Shin-Etsu Chemicals Co Ltd. (Japan)
Nippon Yttrium Co Ltd. (Japan)
Anan Kasei (Japan)
Treibacher Industrie AG (Australia)
Trebacher Auermet Produktions GmdH-TAU (Austria)
Meldform Rare Earth Ltd. (United Kingdom)
Silmet (Estonia)
Irtysh Rare Earth Co Ltd (Kazakhstan)

References
1. Web Resource CONCENTRATION OF MINERALS
https://sites.google.com/site/concentrationofminerals/home

Ph.D. Natalia Petrovskaya

March 1, 2016

nataliapetrovsky@gmail.com