Author/Authors :
Rabie, K. A. Rare Earth Elements Separation Project - Nuclear Material Authority, Egypt , Sherif, A.T. Rare Earth Elements Separation Project - Nuclear Material Authority, Egypt , Bekhet, A. F. Rare Earth Elements Separation Project - Nuclear Material Authority, Egypt , Saleh, A. M. Al-Azhar University - Faculty of Engineering, Egypt , Moustafa, M.E. Banha University - Faculty of Science, Egypt , Mohammed, T. Y. Banha University - Faculty of Science, Egypt
Abstract :
The rare earth elements behave as a single chemical entity. The problem of separating rare earth elements for scientific or industrial uses has been one of tne most challenging tasks of rare earth technology. The present work is directed to investigate the separation of lanthanum oxide from Egyptian beach monazite mineral after sulphuric acid digestion by conventional crystallization methods. The rare earth hydrous oxides concentrate produced from Egyptian monazite after cerium separation process contains - 43% lanthanum oxide of total RET is contents. In order to separate lanthanum oxide, the mixture crystallized by changing the concentration of salt, by evaporation, changing the solubility of the salt and varying the temperature or the nature of the solvent. These conditions were applied on acid solutions containing natural gathered trivalent rare earth elements to separate lanthanum oxide in the highest possible purity and recovery percent s. The crystallization manner is earned out throughout four crystallization cycles on natural solutions containing 75, 150, 225 and 300g/1 of La203. The best promising attained percent purity was 94.8% with 56% recovery during the processing of the third solution of 225g/l La2O3.
