Extraction of Rare-Earth Elements in Hydrofluoride Decomposition of Loparite Concentrate

Abstract

Distribution and existence forms of rare-earth elements in decomposition of the loparite concentrate with ammonium hydrofluoride were studied. It was found that, in the course of the aqueous leaching of the fluorinated concentrate, rare-earth elements fully remain in the insoluble residue as complex salts of general formula NaLnF₄. The process of pyrohydrolysis of the insoluble residue was examined. It was shown that varying the process conditions always results in that a NaLnF4-containing product is obtained. It was found that rare-earth elements can be extracted from the insoluble residue and separated from calcium and thorium, and the conditions for this extraction were determined.