| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2020 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Rare Metal Extraction & Processing
|
| Presentation Title |
Leaching of Eudialyte –The Silicic Acid Challenge |
| Author(s) |
Dag Ø. Eriksen, Kurt Simon Forrester, Mark Stephen Saxon |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Dag Ø. Eriksen |
| Abstract Scope |
Heavy rare earth elements (HREE) are considered as a group of critical elements of high supply risk. The most abundant mineral containing HREE is xenotime, YPO4, but to extract Y and the substituting HREE tough handling to dissolve the phosphate is required. Eudialyte, on the other hand, is much less common, but is easy to leach. The mineral is basically an alkaline zirconium silicate and it is leachable at pH < 3. This means that even organic acids or dilute mineral acids may be used for the leaching. However, the challenge with eudialyte is that silicates are also dissolved and after a while these silicates may form gels. Usually the silicates are referred to as silicic acids. Such gels have detrimental effect on chemical processes where fluid flows are imperative. The presentation will seek to present published and unpublished efforts conducted to find ways of omitting this problem. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |