REO MINERAL SEPARATION FROM SILICATES AND CARBONATE GANGUE MINERALS

摘要

The increasing development of new technologies requiring rare earth elements has resulted in greater demand for rare earth element (REE) extraction and processing. However, REE concentration is a complex process and usually deposit specific. The mineralogy of each deposit can vary widely but is essentially characterized by the type of REE and host gangue, chemistry, and degree of liberation of the minerals that dictate the processing route. This paper presents REE mineral processing routes for the recovery of commercially valuable REE-bearing minerals, such as REE-fluorocarbonates and monazite, from silicates and carbonate gangue minerals.