Vale S.a.

Flávia Dutra Mendes

Antonio Clareti Pereira

Tiago Valentim Berni

Renato De Souza Costa

João Alberto Lessa Tude

Joao Alberto Tude

It is described a method for recovering rare earth elements from low grade ores including a first metal selected group containing at least one of iron and aluminum and a second metal selected from the group consisting of at least of the rare earth elements (lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium, yttrium and scandium), the method comprising the steps of: (i) contacting the ore with sulfuric acid to obtain sulfates of the first group of metals, (ii) subjecting the mixture to high temperatures in order to convert the first group of sulfates into phosphates or other stable species and the second group into sulfates, (iii) adding water to the cool mixture, selectively dissolving the rare earth elements and (iv) subjecting the rare earth solution to a purification process.

System and method for rare earths extraction

The present invention is directed to a hybrid process using ion exchange resins in the selective recovery of nickel and cobalt of leaching effluents that is comprised of the steps of processing () the laterite ore (M), which is then treated through leaching () (either atmospheric or under pressure), considering solutions from the solid-liquid separation step of existing plants already in operation () as well, in a way that the downstream process comprises an ion exchange hybrid circuit, wherein the first ion exchange step () with resins (Re) exhibits specific selectivity conditions for the removal of iron, aluminum and copper and an increased pH, and the second ion exchange step () allows the removal of nickel and cobalt.

Hybrid process using ion exchange resins in the selective recovery of nickel and cobalt from leaching effluents

A process to use ferric sulphate equilibrium to reduce overall acid consumption and iron extraction, the process comprising the steps of: (i) sulphating; (ii) selective pyrolysis and (iii) selective dissolution.

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Belo Horizonte, Brazil

Flávia Dutra Mendes