Separation of rare earth elements by zone recrystallization

Abstract

The separation of holmium and cerium by zone recrystallization using a mixture of HoCl3•6H2O and CeCl3•6H2O was investigated. It is shown that holmium is enriched at the end of the crystal that the recrystallization zone moves to, while cerium is concentrated in the primary solidification zone. The possible reasons for the experimentally observed distribution of hydrated ions of cerium and holmium along the length of the ingot are discussed. Also the coefficients of enrichment and separation are calculated.