Processes for recovering rare earth elements from various ores

A process for recovering at least one rare earth element and/or at least one rare metal selected from the group consisting of In, Zr, Li and Ga from at least one material, said process comprising:

• leaching said at least one material with HCl so as to obtain a leachate comprising a first metal ion, a second metal ion, said at least one rare earth element and/or said at least one rare metal selected from the croup consisting of In, Zr, Li and Ga, and a solid, and separating said leachate from said solid;
• substantially selectively removing said first metal ion from said leachate, thereby obtaining a composition comprising said second metal ion and said at least one rare earth element and/or said at least one rare metal selected from the group consisting of In, Zr, Li and Ga;
• substantially selectively removing at least partially said second metal ion from said composition, thereby obtaining a liquor comprising said at least one rare earth element and/or said at least one rare metal selected from the group consisting of In, Zr, Li and Ga;
• substantially selectively removing said at least one rare earth element and/or said at least one rare metal selected from the group consisting of In, Zr, Li and Ga from said liquor, wherein said liquor is reacted with a first extracting agent in order to substantially selectively extract gallium therefrom, thereby obtaining a Ga-free solution and an extracted gallium solution, and separating said solutions from one another;
• and
• reacting said Ga-free solution with a precipitating agent for precipitating at least one rare earth element present in said Ga-free solution, thereby obtaining a precipitate containing said at least one rare earth element and recovering said precipitate via a solid-liquid separation.

A process for recovering at least one rare earth element and/or at least one rare metal selected from the group consisting of In, Zr, Li and Ga from at least one material, said process comprising:

• leaching said at least one material with HCl so as to obtain a leachate comprising a first metal ion, a second metal ion, said at least one rare earth element and/or said at least one rare metal selected from the group consisting of In, Zr, Li and Ga, and a solid, and separating said leachate from said solid;
• substantially selectively removing said first metal ion from said leachate, thereby obtaining a composition comprising said second metal ion and said at least one rare earth element and/or said at least one rare metal selected from the group consisting of In, Zr, Li and Ga;
• substantially selectively removing at least partially said second metal ion from said composition, thereby obtaining a liquor comprising said at least one rare earth element and/or said at least one rare metal selected from the group consisting of In, Zr, Li and Ga, wherein said second metal ion is at least one iron ion and is substantially selectively removed from said composition by carrying out an hydrolysis so as to convert said at least one iron ion into Fe2O3 and removing said Fe2O3 from said composition by carrying out a solid-liquid separation, thereby obtaining said liquor comprising said at least one rare earth element and/or said at least one rare metal selected from the group consisting of In, Zr, Li and Ga from said liquor;
• and
• substantially selectively removing said at least one rare earth element and/or at least one rare metal selected from the group consisting of In, Zr, Li and Ga from said liquor.