Commissariat &#xc0; L'&#xc9;nergie Atomique Et Aux &#xc9;nergies Alternatives

Marc Montuir

Manuel Miguirditchian

Gilles Bernier

Richard Laucournet

Binh Dinh

Vincent Pacary

Patrick Pochon

Victor Haquin

Coralie Balaguer

The invention relates to a hydrometallurgical process which makes it possible to selectively recover at least one 'heavy' rare earth metal, i.e. a rare earth metal with an atomic number at least equal to 62, that is in an acidic aqueous phase resulting from the treatment of spent or scrapped permanent magnets. It also relates to a hydrometallurgical process which makes it possible to selectively recover, on the one hand, at least one heavy rare earth metal present in an acidic aqueous phase resulting from the treatment of spent or scrapped permanent magnets and, on the other hand, at least one 'light' rare earth metal, i.e. a rare earth metal with an atomic number at most equal to 61, that is also in this acidic aqueous phase. The invention has in particular an application in the recycling of rare earth metals present in spent or scrapped permanent magnets of the type Neodymium-Iron-Boron (or NdFeB) and, in particular, dysprosium, praseodymium and neodymium, and also in the recycling of samarium present in spent or scrapped permanent magnets of the type samarium-cobalt (or SmCo).

Processes for selective recovery of rare earth metals present in acidic aqueous phases resulting from the treatment of spent or scrapped permanent magnets

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Chateauneuf-du-Pape, France

Marc Montuir