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Enrichment of Rare Earth and Niobium from a REE-Nb-Fe Associated Ore via Reductive Roasting Followed by Magnetic Separation

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Abstract

REE-Nb-Fe ore is a typical refractory resource rich in valuable elements. In this article, coal-based reductive roasting followed by magnetic separation is proposed to recover rare earth element (REE), niobium (Nb), and powdered metallic iron (Fe) concentrate from a REE-Nb-Fe raw concentrate containing 31.9% total iron grade (TFe), 3.2% rare earth oxides (REO), and 2.9% Nb2O5. Sodium sulfate is employed to enhance the reduction of iron oxide and to facilitate the growth of metallic iron grains. A magnetic fraction with TFe of 89.3%, iron metallization of 95.8% and iron recovery of 91.5% is obtained by magnetic separation after the raw concentrate is reduced to 1100°C for 120 min in the presence of 15 wt.% sodium sulfate. The contents of rare earth and niobium in the nonmagnetic fraction are enriched to 5.4% (REO) and 4.6% (Nb2O5) with recoveries of 96.1% and 95.8%, respectively. The TFe in the nonmagnetic fraction obtained after the separation is decreased to 4.8% accordingly. The reactions between sodium sulfate and SiO2/Al2O3 enhance the reduction by destroying the mineral structure. The separation of iron from rare earth and niobium is highly improved as metallic iron grains grow markedly when roasted in the presence of sodium sulfate.

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Acknowledgements

Appreciation is expressed to the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University (NCET-11-0515) and the Open-End Fund for the Valuable and Precision Instruments of Central South University for financial support of this research. This work is also financially supported by the Co-Innovation Center for Clean and Efficient Utilization of Strategic Metal Mineral Resources.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Minerals Processing & Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, Hunan, People’s Republic of China

    Mudan Liu, Zhixiong You, Zhiwei Peng, Xiang Li & Guanghui Li

  2. Guangzhou Research Institute of Non-ferrous Metals, Guangzhou, 510651, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China

    Mudan Liu

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  1. Mudan Liu
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  2. Zhixiong You
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  3. Zhiwei Peng
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  4. Xiang Li
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  5. Guanghui Li
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Correspondence to Zhixiong You or Guanghui Li.

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Liu, M., You, Z., Peng, Z. et al. Enrichment of Rare Earth and Niobium from a REE-Nb-Fe Associated Ore via Reductive Roasting Followed by Magnetic Separation. JOM 68, 567–576 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-015-1679-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-015-1679-y

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