Continuous solvent extraction process for generation of high grade rare earth oxides from leachates generated from coal sources

A method of recovering rare earth elements from an aqueous coal source leachate, comprising:

• contacting, in a roughing circuit, rare earth elements in the aqueous coal source leachate with the organic phase to extract the rare earth elements into an organic phase and leave contaminants in an aqueous phase;
• scrubbing, in the roughing circuit, additional contaminants from the organic phase;
• stripping, in the roughing circuit, the rare earth elements from the organic phase;
• and
• recovering the rare earth elements in a rare earth element containing solution.