Process and method for separating rare earth elements from leach solutions
AssigneeRare Earth Salts Separation and Refining, LLC
InventorJoseph Brewer
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Abstract
An improved method for separating individual and/or groups of rare earth elements from rare earth bearing leach solutions to produce high purity materials for further refinement. According to a first preferred embodiment, the present invention includes a method comprising the steps of: neutralizing a leach solution; introducing ozone into the solution while controlling pH and precipitating cerium oxide; removing the precipitated cerium oxide from the solution; adjusting the pH of the solution in the presence of ozone to precipitate medium/heavy rare earths; removing the precipitated rare earth concentrate from the solution; treating the remaining solution with a precipitating agent to produce a high purity lanthanum precipitate; and removing the solids from the solution.
Claims11
A method for separating rare earth elements comprising the steps of:
- a. treating a leach solution;
- wherein the leach solution comprises at least two rare earth metal salts;
- wherein the leach solution is treated with a neutralizing process to achieve a pH of between 2 and 6;
- b. introducing ozone into the solution while controlling pH between 2 and 6 and precipitating cerium oxide from the solution;
- c. removing the precipitated cerium oxide from the solution;
- d. removing solids from the solution containing the remaining rare earth elements;
- e. adjusting the pH of the solution to between 6.0 and 8.0 to precipitate medium/heavy rare earth along with Nd and Pr hydroxides;
- f. removing the precipitated Nd—Pr and medium/heavy rare earths from the solution;
- g. treating the remaining solution with a precipitating agent or evaporating to produce a lanthanum concentrate having a lanthanum purity of at least 95% by weight;
- and
- h. removing one or more precipitated solids from the solution.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.