Rare earth processing

ANSTO Minerals provides specialised knowledge in the processing of ores containing rare earths and rare earth recovery and separation.

ANSTO Minerals: rare earths capabilities

ANSTO Minerals' capabilities in the field of rare earths processing include:

• Extensive experience in the processing of rare earths from primary sources such as monazite, or from secondary sources such as apatites, complex zirconium/niobium ores and other non-traditional secondary sources.
• Laboratory and pilot plant studies of the following specific processes:
• • Caustic conversion of rare earth phosphate type minerals
  • Sulphuric acid bake/water leach processes
  • Recovery and purification of rare earths by precipitation techniques such as of rare earth double sulphates or rare earth oxalates
  • Impurity control in rare earth flowsheets
  • Radioactivity deportment in rare earth flowsheets including recovery of uranium as a by-product
  • Precipitations of rare earth carbonate
  • Purification or rare earths by solvent extraction techniques for recovery of rare earth concentrates or higher purity individual rare earth products
• Conceptual studies for flowsheet development of green field mineral processing sites.
• Conceptual studies for introduction of new technology into existing mineral processing flowsheets.
• Mine site plant audits and surveys.

Recent projects

Examples of ANSTO Minerals' major rare earth projects which are in the public domain include:

• Extensive laboratory test work carried out for the recovery of rare earths from the Mt Weld deposit in Western Australia, including operation of caustic conversion at pilot plant scale and mini-pilot plant operation of continuous solvent extraction processes for the purification of targeted rare earth products
• The development of a process for the recovery of rare earths from the Nolan’s deposit in the Northern Territory, including pilot plant testing.