Rare earth elements leaching from Chadormalu apatite concentrate: Laboratory studies and regression predictions

Esmaeil Jorjani; Amir Hossein Bagherieh; Saeed Chehreh Chelgani

Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering, Vol.28, No.2, 557-562, February, 2011

DOI10.1007/s11814-010-0383-4 Export Citation

Rare earth elements leaching from Chadormalu apatite concentrate: Laboratory studies and regression predictions

Esmaeil Jorjani, Amir Hossein Bagherieh, and Saeed Chehreh Chelgani^†

Mining Engineering Department, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Poonak, Hesarak, Tehran, Iran

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The extraction of rare earth elements from apatite concentrate of Chadormalu plant of Iran was studied with the dissolution of ore in nitric acid. The parameters of acidity: 60%, solid to liquid ratio: 30%, leaching time: 30 minute, agitation rate: 200 rpm, temperature: 60 ℃ and particle size (d80): 50 microns were determined as the optimum operational conditions. The recoveries of lanthanum, cerium, neodymium and yttrium were achieved at 74, 59, 72 and 73%, respectively, in the optimized conditions. Multivariable regression was used to predict La, Ce, Nd, Y and total REEs (Y+Nd+Ce+La) leaching recoveries, using experimental data from laboratory studies. It was achieved quite satisfactory correlations of 0.93, 0.98, 0.99, 0.97 and 0.99 for the prediction of Y, Nd, Ce, La and total REEs recoveries, respectively. It was shown that the proposed equations accurately reproduce the effects of operational variables on the different REEs recoveries, and can be used to optimize the REEs leaching plant.

Keywords:Leaching;Apatite;Rare Earth Elements;Regression

[References]

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[2] Martina P, Carlota G, Chevariera A, Den-Auwerb C, Panczerc G, J. Nucl. Mater., 275, 268 (1999)

[3] Hongfei L, Fuqiang G, Zhifeng Z, Deqian L, Zhonghuai W, J.Alloys and Compounds., 408, 995 (2005)

[4] Maestro P, Huguenin D, Alloys Compd., 255, 520 (1995)

[5] Will J, Mitterdorfer A, Kleinlogel C, Perednis D, Gauckler LJ, Solid State Ion., 131(1-2), 79 (2000)

[6] Jorjani E, Bagherieh AH, Rezai B, Jahad Daneshgahi., 26(4), 11 (2007)

[7] National geosciences database of Iran, Chadormalu iron ore report, Brief information about metallic beneficiation plants, Iranian ministry of industry and mines (in Persian), 60-99 (2003)

[8] Habashi F, J. Chem. Technol. Biotechnol., GY, 35App, P. 5-14 (1985)

[9] Nguyen HH, Jang NJ, Choi SH, Korean J. Chem. Eng., 26(1), 1 (2009)

[10] Koopman C, Witkamp GJ, Hydrometallurgy Journal., 58, 51 (2000)

[11] Judin VP and Sund HE, Recovery of rare earths from secondary sources by solvent extraction, In: Hydrometallurgy '81, Society of Chemical Industry, London, P. F4/1-F4/14 (1981)

[12] Skorovarov JI, Kosynkin VD, Moiseev SD, Rura NN, J. Alloys and Compounds., 180, 71 (1992)

[13] Kosynkin VD, Moiseev SD, Peterson CH, Nikipelov BV, J. Alloys and Compounds., 192, 118 (1993)

[14] Preston JS, Cole PM, Craig WM, Feather AM, Hydrometallurgy., 41, 1 (1996)

[15] Gupta C, Krishnamurthy N, Extractive metallurgy of rare earths, CRC press Inc., 1-540 (2005)

[16] Lounamaa N, Mattila T, Judin VP and Sund HE, Recovery of rare earths phosphorus rock by solvent extraction. In: Proc. second Int. Congress Phosphorus Compounds, Institute Mondial du Phosphate, Paris, 759-768 (1980)

[17] Habashi F, a Textbook of Hydrometallurgy, Metallurgie Extractive Quebec Enr., Quebec, Canada, P.1-689 (1999)

[18] Judin VP and Sund HE, Recovery of rare earths from secondary sources by solvent extraction, In: Hydrometallurgy '81, Society of Chemical Industry, London, P. F4/1-F4/14 (1981)

[19] Skorovarov JI, Kosynkin VD, Moiseev SD, Rura NN, J. Alloys and Compounds., 180, 71 (1992)

[20] Kosynkin VD, Moiseev SD, Peterson CH, Nikipelov BV, J. Alloys and Compounds., 192, 118 (1993)

[21] Kosynkin VD, Selivanovsky AK, Smolny VM, Tarasova NA , Fedulova TT, Incidental separation of rare earth concentrate in nitric acid and sulphuric acid processing of apatite fertilizer, IFA Technical sub-committee and committee meeting, 15-17 September 1999, Novgrod, Russia.

[22] Martynowicz ETMJ, Impurity uptake in calcium sulfate during phosphoric acid processing. PhD thesis, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands (1994)

[23] Habashi F, Hydrometallurgy to solve phosphate processing, Industrial Minerals Magazine (2004)

[24] Smirnova EV, Fedorova IN, Lozhkinb I, Spectrochimica Acta Journal., 58(2), 329 (2003)

[25] Lee CJ, Lee G, So W, Yoon ES, Korean J. Chem. Eng., 25(3), 568 (2008)

[26] Ziabari M, Mottaghitalab V, Haghi AK, Korean J. Chem. Eng., 27(1), 340 (2010)

[27] Young KC, Chul K, Korean J. Chem. Eng., 10, 81 (1993)