RARE EARTH ELEMENTS (REE)
Introduction
Rare Earth are extremely important in the modern age life style. They belong to the F Block in the periodic table and exhibit unique properties among others magnetic, phosphorescent, and catalytic. These elements are critical to technologies ranging from cell phones and televisions to LED light bulbs, solar panels and wind turbines to medical equipment.
Spin Eight Nanotechnologies Sdn. Bhd. propose GREEN rare earth mineral mining to recover the 17 different element concentrates present in the earth crust.
Read More about REE
- The rare earth elements are typically divided into light and heavy rare earths based on their ionic radii and different physical and chemical properties. The light rare earth elements (LREE) range from lanthanum (La) to europium (Eu), whereas heavy rare earth elements (HREE) range from gadolinium (Gd) to lutetium (Lu).
- Ion adsorption clay was formed by the weathering rare earth-rich primary granite-type rock or volcanic rock followed by adsorption of soluble rare earth species on clays.
- Mild, humid, rainy climatic conditions and tectonically stable environment are suitable for these processes to occur.
- In situ leaching involves injecting the leaching agent into the ore body via a liquid injection well on the surface of rare earth ores.
The leaching agent diffuses and penetrates the ore body, collects the leachate through a diversion hole at the bottom, and then eliminates impurities, and precipitates to enrich rare earths. - In situ leaching method has higher development potential since it does not involve “moving mountains,: has a low labour intensity, and causes less harm to surface vegetation.
Solvent Extraction
- Solvent extraction is also known all liquid-liquid extraction, a method of transferring anions or cations from an aqueous phase to an immiscible organic phase using an organic compound (e.g., extractant)
- The efficiency of solvent extraction is based on the chemical nature differences between the aqueous phase and solvent.
- As a result, variables such as primary acidity, extractant concentration, extractant types, and ore concentration may all play a role in efficient RE separation.
