XXXI International Mineral Processing Congress 2024 Proceedings/Washington, DC/Sep 29–Oct 3 1837
The innovative solvent extraction system demon-
strated many advantages including: 1) Extraction efficiency
increases from light to heavy REE 2) Selective separation
of unwanted La and Ce is feasible 3) Near 100% extrac-
tion of heavy REEs 4) Little leachate matrix interference
5) U and Th are not extracted and 6) Easy stripping of
REE from the loaded extraction organic phase.
Preliminary TEA indicates that both the thermal and
hydrometallurgical approaches are profitable for MREO
production using phosphoric acid sludge as an REE feed-
stock, with similar return on investment. The operating
and capital costs of the thermal process are slightly higher
than those of the hydro process due to energy consumption
and the need for additional equipment to compensate for
the chemical expenses resulting from multi-stage leaching.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Much of this work was supported by the Critical Materials
Innovation (CMI) Hub (formerly Critical Materials
Institute), an Energy Innovation Hub funded by the U.S.
Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy, Advanced Materials &Manufacturing
Technologies Office. Some parts of the research were also
supported (Award Number: DE-FE0032123) by the Office
of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM), US
Department of Energy (DOE). The guidance and leader-
ship provided by Dr. Bruce Moyer, CMI focus area A1 lead,
and David DePaoli, CMI project lead, are highly appreci-
ated. Substantial matching fund is provided by the Florida
Industrial and Phosphate Research Institute, Florida
Polytechnic University. The Mosaic Co. is particularly
acknowledged for their technical input, large in-kind sup-
port, and sample collection efforts. We want to express our
gratitude to the following Mosaic employees and former
employees for their help: Nicole Christiansen, Paul Kucera,
Marcos Ortiz, Chris Dennis, Glen Oswald, Chaucer
Hwang, Cameron Weed, Gary Whitt, Troy Hobbs, and
Ryan Johnston.
REFERENCES
Becker, P., 1983. Phosphates and Phosphoric Acid: Raw
Materials, Technology, and Economics of the Wet Process.
Marcel Dekker, New York.
Giesekke, E.W., 1985. Florida phosphate rock. In: Weiss,
N.L. (Ed.), SME Mineral Processing Handbook. SME,
pp. 1–18. (Section 21).
Grosz, A. E., Meier, A. L., Clardy, B. F., Howard, J. M.,
1995. Rare earth elements in the Cason Shale of Northern
Arkansas: a geochemical reconnaissance, Arkansas
Geological Commission.
Kanazawa, Y., Kamitani, M., 2006. Rare earth miner-
als and resources in the world. Journal of Alloys and
Compounds, Vol. 408, pp. 1339–1343.
Jang, G.G., Ladshaw, A., Keum, J., et al., 2020. Continuous-
flow centrifugal solid/liquid separation for the
recovery of rare-earth elements containing particles from
phosphoric acid sludge, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 59,
21901−21913.
Jang, G.G., Ladshaw, A., Keum, J., et al., 2023. Continuous
recovery of phosphoric acid and Rare-Earths containing
particles from phosphoric acid sludge using a decanter cen-
trifuge. Chemical Engineering Journal 458 141418.
Kremer, R. A., and Chokshi, J. C., 1989. Fate of Rare Earth
Elements in Mining/Beneficiation of Florida Phosphate
Rock and Conversion to DAP Fertilizer, Research report,
Mobil Mining and Minerals Company, Nichols,
Florida.
Lapple, W. C., 1966. Production of phosphorus pentoxide
from a phosphatic ore. US Patent No. 3,241,917.
Liang, H., Zhang, P., Jin, Z., DePaoli, D., 2017. Rare-earths
leaching from Florida phosphate rock in wet-process
phosphoric acid production. Mineral &Metallurgical
Processing, Vol. 34(3), pp. 146–153.
Liang, H., Zhang, P., Jin, Z., DePaoli, D., 2017. Rare earths
recovery and gypsum upgrade from Florida phospho-
gypsum. Mineral &Metallurgical Processing, Vol. 34(4),
pp. 201–206.
Liang, H., Zhang, P., Jin, Z., DePaoli, D., 2018. Rare earth
and phosphorus leaching from a flotation tailings of
Florida phosphate rock, Minerals, 8, 416.
Marzougui, S., Radhia, S., Fouad, S., et al., 2019.
Phosphoric acid purification sludge: Potential in heavy
metals and rare earth elements. Waste Management, 83,
pp. 46–56.
Pan, Y., Fleet, M. E., Macrae, N. D., 1993. Oriented
monazite inclusions in apatite porphyroblasts from the
Hemlo gold deposit, Ontario, Canada, Mineral. Mag.
57, pp. 697–708.
Poul, E., Mclauglin, I. P., Breit, N. G., et al., 2015. Rare
earth elements in sedimentary phosphate deposits:
Solution to the global REE crisis? Gondwana Research,
Vol. 27(2), pp. 776–785.
Ragin, M. M., Brooks, D. R., 1990. Recovery of sulfur
from phosphogypsum: Conversion of calcium sulfate
to calcium sulfide. Report of Investigations 9323, Bureau
of Mines.
Schoneveld, L., Spandler, C., Hussey, K., 2015. Genesis
of the central zone of the Nolans Bore rare earth ele-
ment deposit, Northern Territory, Australia, Contrib.
Mineral. Petrol. 170, pp. 11.
The innovative solvent extraction system demon-
strated many advantages including: 1) Extraction efficiency
increases from light to heavy REE 2) Selective separation
of unwanted La and Ce is feasible 3) Near 100% extrac-
tion of heavy REEs 4) Little leachate matrix interference
5) U and Th are not extracted and 6) Easy stripping of
REE from the loaded extraction organic phase.
Preliminary TEA indicates that both the thermal and
hydrometallurgical approaches are profitable for MREO
production using phosphoric acid sludge as an REE feed-
stock, with similar return on investment. The operating
and capital costs of the thermal process are slightly higher
than those of the hydro process due to energy consumption
and the need for additional equipment to compensate for
the chemical expenses resulting from multi-stage leaching.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Much of this work was supported by the Critical Materials
Innovation (CMI) Hub (formerly Critical Materials
Institute), an Energy Innovation Hub funded by the U.S.
Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy, Advanced Materials &Manufacturing
Technologies Office. Some parts of the research were also
supported (Award Number: DE-FE0032123) by the Office
of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM), US
Department of Energy (DOE). The guidance and leader-
ship provided by Dr. Bruce Moyer, CMI focus area A1 lead,
and David DePaoli, CMI project lead, are highly appreci-
ated. Substantial matching fund is provided by the Florida
Industrial and Phosphate Research Institute, Florida
Polytechnic University. The Mosaic Co. is particularly
acknowledged for their technical input, large in-kind sup-
port, and sample collection efforts. We want to express our
gratitude to the following Mosaic employees and former
employees for their help: Nicole Christiansen, Paul Kucera,
Marcos Ortiz, Chris Dennis, Glen Oswald, Chaucer
Hwang, Cameron Weed, Gary Whitt, Troy Hobbs, and
Ryan Johnston.
REFERENCES
Becker, P., 1983. Phosphates and Phosphoric Acid: Raw
Materials, Technology, and Economics of the Wet Process.
Marcel Dekker, New York.
Giesekke, E.W., 1985. Florida phosphate rock. In: Weiss,
N.L. (Ed.), SME Mineral Processing Handbook. SME,
pp. 1–18. (Section 21).
Grosz, A. E., Meier, A. L., Clardy, B. F., Howard, J. M.,
1995. Rare earth elements in the Cason Shale of Northern
Arkansas: a geochemical reconnaissance, Arkansas
Geological Commission.
Kanazawa, Y., Kamitani, M., 2006. Rare earth miner-
als and resources in the world. Journal of Alloys and
Compounds, Vol. 408, pp. 1339–1343.
Jang, G.G., Ladshaw, A., Keum, J., et al., 2020. Continuous-
flow centrifugal solid/liquid separation for the
recovery of rare-earth elements containing particles from
phosphoric acid sludge, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 59,
21901−21913.
Jang, G.G., Ladshaw, A., Keum, J., et al., 2023. Continuous
recovery of phosphoric acid and Rare-Earths containing
particles from phosphoric acid sludge using a decanter cen-
trifuge. Chemical Engineering Journal 458 141418.
Kremer, R. A., and Chokshi, J. C., 1989. Fate of Rare Earth
Elements in Mining/Beneficiation of Florida Phosphate
Rock and Conversion to DAP Fertilizer, Research report,
Mobil Mining and Minerals Company, Nichols,
Florida.
Lapple, W. C., 1966. Production of phosphorus pentoxide
from a phosphatic ore. US Patent No. 3,241,917.
Liang, H., Zhang, P., Jin, Z., DePaoli, D., 2017. Rare-earths
leaching from Florida phosphate rock in wet-process
phosphoric acid production. Mineral &Metallurgical
Processing, Vol. 34(3), pp. 146–153.
Liang, H., Zhang, P., Jin, Z., DePaoli, D., 2017. Rare earths
recovery and gypsum upgrade from Florida phospho-
gypsum. Mineral &Metallurgical Processing, Vol. 34(4),
pp. 201–206.
Liang, H., Zhang, P., Jin, Z., DePaoli, D., 2018. Rare earth
and phosphorus leaching from a flotation tailings of
Florida phosphate rock, Minerals, 8, 416.
Marzougui, S., Radhia, S., Fouad, S., et al., 2019.
Phosphoric acid purification sludge: Potential in heavy
metals and rare earth elements. Waste Management, 83,
pp. 46–56.
Pan, Y., Fleet, M. E., Macrae, N. D., 1993. Oriented
monazite inclusions in apatite porphyroblasts from the
Hemlo gold deposit, Ontario, Canada, Mineral. Mag.
57, pp. 697–708.
Poul, E., Mclauglin, I. P., Breit, N. G., et al., 2015. Rare
earth elements in sedimentary phosphate deposits:
Solution to the global REE crisis? Gondwana Research,
Vol. 27(2), pp. 776–785.
Ragin, M. M., Brooks, D. R., 1990. Recovery of sulfur
from phosphogypsum: Conversion of calcium sulfate
to calcium sulfide. Report of Investigations 9323, Bureau
of Mines.
Schoneveld, L., Spandler, C., Hussey, K., 2015. Genesis
of the central zone of the Nolans Bore rare earth ele-
ment deposit, Northern Territory, Australia, Contrib.
Mineral. Petrol. 170, pp. 11.