Poster (EARTH)

[PE1-052] Recovery of Rare Earth Elements from Leach Liquor
using Organophosphorus Acids

○Ariuntuya Battsengel¹, Altansukh Batnasan¹, Kazutoshi Haga¹, Atsushi Shibayama¹ (1. Akita University)

Keywords:Solvent Extraction, Separation, Rare Earth Elements, D2EHPA

The study focused on the extraction of rare earth elements from leach liquor obtained from dissolution of apatite with sulfuric acid solution. Extraction behaviors of rare earth elements from the leach liquor were studied using various extractants including 2-ethylhexyl phosphoric acid (D2EHPA), 2-ethylhexyl phosphonic acid mono-2-ethylhexylester (PC88A) and di-2-ethylhexyl phosphinic acid (P229). The influences of processing parameters such as concentration of organophosphorus acids, extraction time and organic/aqueous phase ratio were investigated. It was revealed that the most effective extractant for recovery of rare earth elements from leach liquor was D2EHPA. The most of heavy rare earth elements were extracted into the organic phase (60 vol. % of D2EHPA in kerosene), whereas light rare earth elements were remained in the raffinate. REE loaded into the organic phase was stripped by sulfuric acid solution efficiently.