Cerium Separation from Light Rare Earth Concentrate by Liquid-Liquid Extraction

Abstract

This work presents an investigation of solvent extraction parameters in order to obtain high purity cerium from a mixture containing other rare earths elements, as an alternative to oxidation and selective precipitation or dissolution. The study was carried out using a sample of sulfuric liquor obtained from the leaching of monazite rich in light rare earth elements (La, Ce, Pr, Nd) provided by INB (Indústrias Nucleares do Brasil S.A.). Experiments were carried out in chloridric, nitric and sulfuric media. The nitric and hydrochloric solutions were prepared by precipitation of the REE from the sulfuric liquor as rare earths oxalate, calcining the precipitate and dissolving it with nitric or hydrochloric acid. The separation of cerium was investigated in its trivalent and tetravalent forms. The parameters investigated were: type and concentration of extractant, type and amount of the oxidizing agent, liquor acidity, and vo-lumetric ratio between organic and aqueous phases. The preference of the organic phase to extract cerium in its oxidized form (IV) over the other rare earths elements was confirmed, allowing the obtainment of a high purity cerium solution. The best results were achieved in nitric medium, with cerium in its tetravalent form, using ca-tionic extractants (P507 or D2EHPA) and a mixture of potassium persulfate and silver chloride as oxidizing agents, yielding over 99% of cerium extraction with over 99% of purity.