Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Recovery of Rare Earths, Niobium, and Thorium from the Tailings of Giant Bayan Obo Ore in China

  • Published:
Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The recovery of rare earths, niobium, and thorium from Bayan Obo’s tailings has been investigated because the Bayan Obo ore is rich in rare earths and rich in niobium and thorium, but it is mined mainly as an iron ore and will be used up soon. By carbochlorination between 823 K (550 °C) and 873 K (600 °C) for 2 hours, 76 to 93 pct of rare earths were recovered from the tailings, which were much higher than those from Bayan Obo’s rare earth concentrate, together with 65 to 78 pct of niobium, 72 to 92 pct of thorium, 84 to 91 pct of iron, and 81 to 94 pct of fluorine. This suggests a cooperative reaction mechanism that carbochlorination of iron minerals (and carbonates) in the tailings enhances that of rare earth minerals, which is supported by a thermodynamic analysis. Subsequently, niobium separation from the low-volatile, ultrahigh iron chloride mixture was achieved efficiently by selective oxidation with Fe2O3. This process, combined with the best available technologies for separation of rare earths and thorium from the involatile chloride mixture and for comprehensively using other valuable elements, allows the ore to minimize radioactive waste and to use rare metal resources sustainably in the future.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. T. Uda, K.T. Jacob, and M. Hirasawa: Science, 2000, vol. 289, pp. 2326–29.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. G.-X. Xu: Rare Earths, 2nd ed., Metall. Ind. Press, Beijing, China, 1995, vol. 1, pp. 364–468 and vol. 3, pp. 1–357.

  3. C.K. Gupta and N. Krishnamurthy: Extractive Metallurgy of Rare Earths, 2005, CRC, Boca Raton, FL, pp. 28–56 and 133–58.

  4. M.S. Wickleder, B. Fourest, and P.K. Dorhout: The Chemistry of the Actinide and Transactinide Elements, 3rd ed., L.R. Morss, N.M. Edelstein, J. Fuger, and J.K. Katz, eds., Springer, Netherlands, 2006, vol. 1, pp. 52–160.

  5. E.C.T. Chao, J.M. Back, J.A. Minkin, M. Tatsumoto, J. Wang, J.E. Conrad, E.H. McKee, Z. Hou, Q. Meng, and S. Huang: The Sedimentary Carbonate-Hosted Giant Bayan Obo REE-Fe-Nb Ore Deposit of Inner Mongolia, China: A Cornerstone Example for Giant Polymetallic Ore Deposits of Hydrothermal Origin, U.S. Geological Survey B-2143, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC, 1997.

  6. G.-X. Xu, C.-X. Shi, D.-Z. Wang, Z.-X. Zhao, D.-Z. Wang, Z.-M. He, N.-Y. Wang, S.-X. Fang, M.-S. Guo, Y. Ouyang, W.-Y. Fei, Y.-F. Liu, Y.-C. Yang, D.-Y. Li, X.-Y. Tang, and Z.-M. Gu: Bull. Chinese Acad. Sci. (Chinese), 2005, vol. 20, pp. 448–50.

  7. H.-C. Lin: Rare Earth Informat. (Chinese), 2006, vol. 6, pp. 11–12.

  8. D.D. Lide: CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 85th ed., CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 2005, p. 14.

  9. F.R. Hartley: J. Appl. Chem., 1952, vol. 2, pp. 24–31.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. W. Brugger and E. Greinacher: J. Met., 1967, vol. 19, no. 12, pp. 32–35.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. T. Ozaki, T. Miyazawa, K. Murase, K. Machida, and G. Adachi: J. Alloy Compd., 1996, vol. 245, pp. 10–14.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. K. Murase, T. Ozaki, K. Machida, and G. Adachi: J. Alloy Compd., 1996, vol. 233, pp. 96–106.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. N. Sato and M. Nanjo: Metall. Trans. B, 1985, vol. 16B, pp. 639–43.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. T. Sugai and R. Watanabe: Proc. Int. Symp. On Mining, Processing, Applications and New Developments in Tantalum and Niobium, Orlando, FL, 1988, pp. 241–54.

  15. I. Gaballah, E. Allain, and M. Djona: Metall. Mater. Trans. B, 1997, vol. 28B, pp. 359–69.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. K. Murase, K. Nishikawa, T. Ozaki, K. Machida, G. Adachi, and T. Suda: J. Alloy Compd., 1998, vol. 264, pp. 151–56.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. F. Yang and V. Hlavacek: AIChE J., 2000, vol. 46, pp. 2499–503.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Z.-C. Wang, L.-Q. Zhang, P.-X. Lei, and M.-Y. Chi: Metall. Mater. Trans. B, 2002, vol. 33B, pp. 661–68.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. L.-Q. Zhang, Z.-C. Wang, S.-X. Tong, P.-X. Lei, and W. Zou: Metall. Mater. Trans. B, 2004, vol. 35B, pp. 217–21.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. I. Barin and G. Platzki: Thermochemical Data of Pure Substances, 3rd ed., VCH, Weinheim, Germany, 1995, pp. 135, 209, 244, 404, 424, 426, 429, 525, 687, 688, 690, 702, 704, 814, 815, 818, 895, 929, 931, 956, 1003, 1040, 1118, 1168, 1169, 1175–77, 1534, 1536, 1598, 1599, 1606–08, 1645, 1646, 1649, 1864, 1865, and 1880.

  21. D.R. Gaskell: Introduction to Metallurgical Thermodynamics, 2nd ed., Hemisphere Publication Corporation, Washington, DC, 1981, pp. 288–91.

    Google Scholar 

  22. J.-M. Chen, F.-W. Chang, and C.-Y. Chang: Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 1990, vol. 29, pp. 778–83.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Z.-C. Wang and J. Yu: Inorg. Chem., 2007, vol. 46, pp. 4248–55.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. T. Ozaki, K. Murase, K. Machida, and G. Adachi: Trans. Inst. Min. Metall. (Sect. C: Mineral Process Extr. Metall.), 1996, vol. 105, pp. C141–45.

  25. U.S. Department of the Interior: U.S. Geological Survey: Mineral Commodity Summaries 2006, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC, 2006, p. 135.

  26. U.S. Department of the Interior: U.S. Geological Survey: Mineral Commodity Summaries 2011, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA, 2011, p. 129.

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Contract No. 50574023) and by the Key Laboratory of Rare-Earth Chemistry and Applications of Liaoning Province, China (Contract No. LS2010122).

Author information

Author notes

  1. Xiu-Lan Yu (Graduate Student, Associate Professor)

    Present address: The College of Applied Chemistry, Shenyang University of Chemical Technology, Shenyang, 110142, P.R. China

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Northeastern University, Shenyang, 110004, P.R. China

    Xiu-Lan Yu (Graduate Student, Associate Professor), Li Bai (Graduate Student), Qing-Chun Wang (Graduate Student), Jia Liu (Graduate Student), Ming-Yu Chi (Engineer) & Zhi-Chang Wang (Retired Professor)

Authors
  1. Xiu-Lan Yu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Li Bai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Qing-Chun Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jia Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Ming-Yu Chi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Zhi-Chang Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zhi-Chang Wang.

Additional information

Manuscript submitted May 31, 2011.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Yu, XL., Bai, L., Wang, QC. et al. Recovery of Rare Earths, Niobium, and Thorium from the Tailings of Giant Bayan Obo Ore in China. Metall Mater Trans B 43, 485–493 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11663-012-9638-2

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11663-012-9638-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation