Rhone-poulenc Specialites Chimiques

Rhone-poulenc Chimie

Rhodia Chimie

Frederic Fabre

Jean-Paul Tognet

Jean-Yves Chane-Ching

Claude Magnier

Francinet Cailly

Andre Lambert

Christian Herviou

Storage-stable sols are comprised of a colloidal dispersion of at least one compound of an acidic metal cation, M,, for example, cerium (IV) and/or iron (III), in an organic phase which comprises an organic liquid medium and an organic acid. The title sols are conveniently prepared via the phase transfer of colloidal particulates from a counterpart aqueous colloidal dispersion.

Organic colloidal dispersions of acidic metal values

Rare earth hydroxides are recovered from the rare earth ores, e.g., monazite, xenotime and/or bastnasite, by treating the ore with an aqueous solution of an alkali metal hydroxide, under agitation and essentially constant pressure, at a temperature of from about 100.degree. to 220.degree. C., and wherein the ratio by weight of alkali metal hydroxide/ore ranges from about 1.4 to 0.5, e.g., a weight ratio of sodium hydroxide/ore of from about 1 to 0.5, or a weight ratio of potassium hydroxide/ore of from about 1.4 to 0.7.

Processing of rare earth ores

Thorium and rare earth values are separated from a fluoride concentrate thereof, by decomposing such concentrate with aqueous sodium hydroxide under conditions such that the amount of sodium hydroxide is at least 1.4 times the stoichiometric amount and the initial sodium hydroxide/water ratio in the medium of decomposition ranges from 1 to 40% by weight, whereby a precipitate of thorium hydroxide and rare earth hydroxides is produced, together with a solution of sodium fluoride, and then separating the NaF solution therefrom.

Separation of thorium and rare earth values from fluoride concentrates

The rare earth hydroxides are improvedly prepared by (i) treating a rare earth phosphate mineral, e.g., monazite or xenotime, with an aqueous solution of an alkali metal hydroxide, (ii) separating therefrom rare earth hydroxide solids and a liquid phase essentially consisting of alkali metal phosphate and alkali metal hydroxide, (iii) crystallizing alkali metal phosphate from said liquid phase, (iv) separating the mother liquor of crystallization therefrom which contains said alkali metal hydroxide, (v) adding calcium oxide or hydroxide to the mother liquor thus separated to form a precipitate therein, (vi) separating said formed precipitate, and (vii) recycling the mother liquor of separation to said treatment step (i).

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Frederic Fabre