Processes for recovering rare earth elements and rare metals

A process for recovering at least one rare earth element, said process comprising:

• obtaining an acidic composition comprising (i) at least one rare earth element and optionally at least one rare metal and (ii) at least one iron ion;
• at least partially removing, from said acidic composition, said least one iron ion by means of an extracting agent, an ion exchange resin, hydrolysis and/or by reacting said composition with a reducing agent, thereby obtaining a composition having a reduced content in said at least one iron ion;
• and
• reacting said composition having said reduced content in said at least one iron ion with a precipitating agent so as to substantially selectively precipitate a first rare earth element and optionally a first rare metal that are comprised in a so-formed precipitate, and recovering said precipitate.

A process for recovering at least one rare earth element, said process comprising:

• obtaining an acidic composition comprising (i) at least one rare earth element and at least one rare metal;
• and (ii) at least one metal ion;
• at least partially removing, from said acidic composition, said least one metal ion by means of an extracting agent, an ion exchange resin, hydrolysis and/or by reacting said composition with a reducing agent, thereby obtaining a composition having a reduced content in said at least one metal ion;
• and
• reacting said composition having said reduced content in said at least one metal ion with a precipitating agent so as to substantially selectively precipitate a first rare earth element and a first rare metal.

A process for recovering at least one rare earth element, said process comprising:

• obtaining an acidic composition comprising (i) at least one rare earth element and optionally at least one rare metal and (ii) at least one iron ion;
• at least partially removing, from said acidic composition, said least one iron ion by means of an extracting agent, an ion exchange resin and/or by reacting said composition with a reducing agent, thereby obtaining a composition having a reduced content in said at least one iron ion;
• and
• reacting said composition having said reduced content in said at least one iron ion with a precipitating agent so as to substantially selectively precipitate a first rare earth element and a first rare metal by maintaining a pH value below 2, wherein said composition having said reduced content in said at least one iron ion being reacted with said precipitating agent so as to obtain a liquid comprising at least one further rare earth element and said precipitate comprising said first rare earth element and said first rare metal, said process further comprising separating said liquid from said precipitate.