XXXI International Mineral Processing Congress 2024 Proceedings/Washington, DC/Sep 29–Oct 3 465
analyzed REEs (Eu, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu) were less
than 0.01 wt% (100 ppm).
When considering the total REE-bearing valuable
component, the cumulative recovery versus mass pull curve
for REE-phosphate ((REE)(PO4)) showed the highest level
of preconcentration among all mineral components. It
slightly surpassed those for the weight fraction of iron in
the sum of carbonate minerals (FeC), manganese-carbonate
(MNC), and fluorite (FLU). This outcome is likely attrib-
uted to the association of the (REE)(PO4) component with
variations in the abundance of MNC, FeC and FLU, lead-
ing to compositional differences between rocks that the
DE-XRT sorting process could partially detect.
Despite these observations, the overall sorting perfor-
mance for both size fractions of the REE ore was marginal.
No significant upgrading in the concentration of REE
was achieved. Consequently, it can be concluded that the
level of preconcentration and upgrading attained through
sorting with this ore sample is insufficient for economical
Table 9. Metallurgical balances of production tests with distinct size fractions of the REE ore sample
Sorting
Product
Production Test with –3.0/+1.5 Size Fraction
Mass, kg
La Ce Pr Nd Sm Gd (REE)(PO4) FLU MNC FeC MgC CaC
Grade, %
Prod. 1 5.28 0.352 0.616 0.069 0.2330 0.0287 0.0252 2.3 8.4 3.1 10.6 8.5 15.5
Prod. 2 5.57 0.337 0.618 0.069 0.2230 0.0270 0.0231 2.2 8.1 2.8 9.3 8.9 17.4
Prod. 3 18.72 0.305 0.548 0.063 0.2130 0.0271 0.0228 2.0 8.0 2.9 9.4 9.1 16.7
Prod. 4 11.05 0.282 0.523 0.062 0.2090 0.0275 0.0225 1.9 6.6 2.7 9.3 9.2 17.6
Prod. 5 15.11 0.270 0.526 0.059 0.2080 0.0276 0.0235 1.9 5.7 2.5 9.2 9.1 17.3
Prod. 6 4.38 0.272 0.532 0.060 0.1970 0.0259 0.0207 1.9 7.2 2.6 8.3 9.4 18.2
Prod. 7 72.5 0.190 0.400 0.048 0.1760 0.0240 0.0196 1.5 5.7 2.3 8.3 9.7 18.3
Total/Feed 132.61 0.238 0.468 0.055 0.1926 0.0255 0.0211 1.7 6.4 2.5 8.8 9.4 17.8
Mass, %Recovery, %
Prod. 1 4.0 5.9 5.2 5.0 4.8 4.5 4.7 5.3 5.3 4.9 4.8 3.6 3.5
Prod. 2 4.2 5.9 5.6 5.3 4.9 4.4 4.6 5.4 5.3 4.7 4.4 4.0 4.1
Prod. 3 14.1 18.1 16.5 16.2 15.6 15.0 15.2 16.6 17.8 16.2 15.1 13.7 13.3
Prod. 4 8.3 9.9 9.3 9.5 9.0 9.0 8.9 9.4 8.7 8.9 8.8 8.2 8.3
Prod. 5 11.4 12.9 12.8 12.4 12.3 12.3 12.7 12.7 10.2 11.4 12.0 11.1 11.1
Prod. 6 3.3 3.8 3.8 3.6 3.4 3.4 3.2 3.6 3.7 3.3 3.1 3.3 3.4
Prod. 7 54.7 43.6 46.8 48.1 50.0 51.4 50.7 47.0 48.9 50.6 51.8 56.2 56.4
Sorting
Product
Production Test with –1.5/+0.5 Size Fraction
Mass, kg
La Ce Pr Nd Sm Gd (REE)(PO
4 )FLU MNC FeC MgC CaC
Grade (%)
Prod. 1 7.6 0.322 0.601 0.066 0.2250 0.0279 0.0252 2.2 8.1 3.0 10.0 8.9 16.1
Prod. 2 19.8 0.287 0.554 0.061 0.2100 0.0269 0.0236 2.0 4.8 2.8 9.5 9.1 17.8
Prod. 3 14.6 0.262 0.493 0.057 0.1990 0.0267 0.0232 1.8 5.0 2.7 9.3 9.4 17.8
Prod. 4 9.8 0.242 0.482 0.056 0.1920 0.0250 0.0219 1.7 5.4 2.6 8.9 9.4 18.1
Prod. 5 4.0 0.234 0.446 0.054 0.1890 0.0253 0.0215 1.7 5.4 2.6 8.8 9.5 17.9
Prod. 6 20.0 0.200 0.408 0.051 0.1860 0.0250 0.0209 1.5 5.1 2.3 8.1 9.8 18.8
Total/Feed 75.8 0.254 0.493 0.057 0.1996 0.0261 0.0226 1.8 5.3 2.6 9.0 9.4 17.9
Mass, %Recovery, %
Prod. 1 10.1 12.7 12.2 11.6 11.3 10.7 11.2 12.0 15.2 11.5 11.2 9.5 9.0
Prod. 2 26.1 29.5 29.3 27.8 27.5 26.9 27.2 28.8 23.4 27.8 27.5 25.3 25.9
Prod. 3 19.2 19.8 19.2 19.2 19.2 19.7 19.7 19.4 17.8 20.0 19.7 19.4 19.1
Prod. 4 12.9 12.3 12.6 12.7 12.4 12.4 12.5 12.5 13.0 12.6 12.7 13.0 13.1
Prod. 5 5.3 4.8 4.8 5.0 5.0 5.1 5.0 4.9 5.3 5.2 5.2 5.4 5.3
Prod. 6 26.4 20.8 21.8 23.7 24.6 25.2 24.3 22.4 25.3 22.9 23.7 27.5 27.6
FLU =fluorite MNC =Mn-carbonate FeC, MgC, and CaC are the weight fractions of Fe, Mg, and Ca in the sum of the carbonate
minerals (SID+ANK+DOL SID =siderite, ANK =ankerite DOL=dolomite)
analyzed REEs (Eu, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu) were less
than 0.01 wt% (100 ppm).
When considering the total REE-bearing valuable
component, the cumulative recovery versus mass pull curve
for REE-phosphate ((REE)(PO4)) showed the highest level
of preconcentration among all mineral components. It
slightly surpassed those for the weight fraction of iron in
the sum of carbonate minerals (FeC), manganese-carbonate
(MNC), and fluorite (FLU). This outcome is likely attrib-
uted to the association of the (REE)(PO4) component with
variations in the abundance of MNC, FeC and FLU, lead-
ing to compositional differences between rocks that the
DE-XRT sorting process could partially detect.
Despite these observations, the overall sorting perfor-
mance for both size fractions of the REE ore was marginal.
No significant upgrading in the concentration of REE
was achieved. Consequently, it can be concluded that the
level of preconcentration and upgrading attained through
sorting with this ore sample is insufficient for economical
Table 9. Metallurgical balances of production tests with distinct size fractions of the REE ore sample
Sorting
Product
Production Test with –3.0/+1.5 Size Fraction
Mass, kg
La Ce Pr Nd Sm Gd (REE)(PO4) FLU MNC FeC MgC CaC
Grade, %
Prod. 1 5.28 0.352 0.616 0.069 0.2330 0.0287 0.0252 2.3 8.4 3.1 10.6 8.5 15.5
Prod. 2 5.57 0.337 0.618 0.069 0.2230 0.0270 0.0231 2.2 8.1 2.8 9.3 8.9 17.4
Prod. 3 18.72 0.305 0.548 0.063 0.2130 0.0271 0.0228 2.0 8.0 2.9 9.4 9.1 16.7
Prod. 4 11.05 0.282 0.523 0.062 0.2090 0.0275 0.0225 1.9 6.6 2.7 9.3 9.2 17.6
Prod. 5 15.11 0.270 0.526 0.059 0.2080 0.0276 0.0235 1.9 5.7 2.5 9.2 9.1 17.3
Prod. 6 4.38 0.272 0.532 0.060 0.1970 0.0259 0.0207 1.9 7.2 2.6 8.3 9.4 18.2
Prod. 7 72.5 0.190 0.400 0.048 0.1760 0.0240 0.0196 1.5 5.7 2.3 8.3 9.7 18.3
Total/Feed 132.61 0.238 0.468 0.055 0.1926 0.0255 0.0211 1.7 6.4 2.5 8.8 9.4 17.8
Mass, %Recovery, %
Prod. 1 4.0 5.9 5.2 5.0 4.8 4.5 4.7 5.3 5.3 4.9 4.8 3.6 3.5
Prod. 2 4.2 5.9 5.6 5.3 4.9 4.4 4.6 5.4 5.3 4.7 4.4 4.0 4.1
Prod. 3 14.1 18.1 16.5 16.2 15.6 15.0 15.2 16.6 17.8 16.2 15.1 13.7 13.3
Prod. 4 8.3 9.9 9.3 9.5 9.0 9.0 8.9 9.4 8.7 8.9 8.8 8.2 8.3
Prod. 5 11.4 12.9 12.8 12.4 12.3 12.3 12.7 12.7 10.2 11.4 12.0 11.1 11.1
Prod. 6 3.3 3.8 3.8 3.6 3.4 3.4 3.2 3.6 3.7 3.3 3.1 3.3 3.4
Prod. 7 54.7 43.6 46.8 48.1 50.0 51.4 50.7 47.0 48.9 50.6 51.8 56.2 56.4
Sorting
Product
Production Test with –1.5/+0.5 Size Fraction
Mass, kg
La Ce Pr Nd Sm Gd (REE)(PO
4 )FLU MNC FeC MgC CaC
Grade (%)
Prod. 1 7.6 0.322 0.601 0.066 0.2250 0.0279 0.0252 2.2 8.1 3.0 10.0 8.9 16.1
Prod. 2 19.8 0.287 0.554 0.061 0.2100 0.0269 0.0236 2.0 4.8 2.8 9.5 9.1 17.8
Prod. 3 14.6 0.262 0.493 0.057 0.1990 0.0267 0.0232 1.8 5.0 2.7 9.3 9.4 17.8
Prod. 4 9.8 0.242 0.482 0.056 0.1920 0.0250 0.0219 1.7 5.4 2.6 8.9 9.4 18.1
Prod. 5 4.0 0.234 0.446 0.054 0.1890 0.0253 0.0215 1.7 5.4 2.6 8.8 9.5 17.9
Prod. 6 20.0 0.200 0.408 0.051 0.1860 0.0250 0.0209 1.5 5.1 2.3 8.1 9.8 18.8
Total/Feed 75.8 0.254 0.493 0.057 0.1996 0.0261 0.0226 1.8 5.3 2.6 9.0 9.4 17.9
Mass, %Recovery, %
Prod. 1 10.1 12.7 12.2 11.6 11.3 10.7 11.2 12.0 15.2 11.5 11.2 9.5 9.0
Prod. 2 26.1 29.5 29.3 27.8 27.5 26.9 27.2 28.8 23.4 27.8 27.5 25.3 25.9
Prod. 3 19.2 19.8 19.2 19.2 19.2 19.7 19.7 19.4 17.8 20.0 19.7 19.4 19.1
Prod. 4 12.9 12.3 12.6 12.7 12.4 12.4 12.5 12.5 13.0 12.6 12.7 13.0 13.1
Prod. 5 5.3 4.8 4.8 5.0 5.0 5.1 5.0 4.9 5.3 5.2 5.2 5.4 5.3
Prod. 6 26.4 20.8 21.8 23.7 24.6 25.2 24.3 22.4 25.3 22.9 23.7 27.5 27.6
FLU =fluorite MNC =Mn-carbonate FeC, MgC, and CaC are the weight fractions of Fe, Mg, and Ca in the sum of the carbonate
minerals (SID+ANK+DOL SID =siderite, ANK =ankerite DOL=dolomite)