Separation of Rare Earths from Mining Waste Using Novel Chromatography Media

It is proposed to utilize an innovative, proprietary process employing proprietary media materials integrated into a process combining traditional stationary sorption columns and chromatographic separation to isolate REEs, remove thorium and uranium, and produce secondary value-add products from mining waste products. Although these types of approaches have been tried individually in the past to separate REEs and thorium from various source solutions with limited success, the innovation of the proposed technology lies in the proper combination sequence of pre-treatment and post-treatment options including selective extraction and precipitation to produce a high quality, thorium free REO materials. This proposed approach utilizes previous knowledge on stationary sorption systems and chromatographic separation providing a sound technical base to limit risk, but also requires innovative approaches to develop and optimize the process system to meet REE separation challenges. Since the combination of alternative pretreatment techniques, stationary columns, chromatographic separation, and post-treatment processes has not been pursued to recover REEs from mining waste materials, the technology concept is innovative and disruptive to traditional solvent extraction systems. A key aspect of the project will be the optimization and refinement of selected operational parameters within chromatographic separation experiments to produce a high-quality REO product. Primary goals are to optimize chromatographic separation of REEs by adjusting operational parameters, 2) investigate and refine RE separation purity by identifying the best media and operational conditions using adsorption columns, and 3) produce an REO product that is >99.5% pure. Secondary goals include the production of high-quality phosphoric acid and gypsum that will be assayed to determine possible market pricing.