Rare Earth Processing Plants
There are 17 rare earth elements, namely lanthanum, cerium,
praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium,
gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, ymium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium,
lutetium, scandium and yttrium. Rare earth elements have optical,
electromagnetic and other physical characteristics.
The mineral composition of rare earth ores is complex and contains
many minerals and gangue minerals, so it is not easy to separate
rare earth ores. The appropriate beneficiation process can be
selected based on the different physical and chemical properties of
their minerals and associated gangue. Hengyang Industry also has a
close relation with state-owned laboratories and industrial
companies that have rich experience in rare earth beneficiation and
concentration so we can provide professional services on rare earth
beneficiation technology studies and concentration plant EPC
services. The common rare earth beneficiation technology is as
below:
Gravity Separation:
Gravity separation of rare earth minerals is carried out by using
the density difference between rare earth minerals and gangue
minerals. For example, coastal placer mineral containing rare earth
often adopt gravity separation and rare earth vein ore always use
gravity separation for pre-concentration.
Flotation:
The flotation of rare earth ores is one of the main methods for the
separation of rare earth ores. It uses the difference of physical
and chemical properties between the surface of rare earth minerals
and associated minerals to separate them from associated gangue and
other minerals to obtain effective rare earth concentrates. For
example, in Baotou Bayan Obo ore, because the density and magnetism
of fluorocarbon holmium ore and monazite are basically the same,
flotation process is adopted, or after gravity separation in
seashore placer, rare earth concentrate is often obtained from
heavy sand by flotation.
Magnetic Separation:
Rare earth mineral magnetic separation aims at some rare earth
minerals with weak magnetism or rare earth minerals accompanied
with magnetite. The magnetic separator with different magnetic
field intensity is used to separate rare earth minerals according
to the different specific magnetization coefficients of rare earth
minerals with associated gangue and other minerals. For example,
weak magnetic separation is used to separate ilmenite from monazite
in seashore placer, or high magnetic separation is used to separate
monazite from zircon, quartz and other minerals. In flotation of
rare earth ores, in order to simplify flotation process and save
flotation reagents, high intensity magnetic separation technology
is sometimes used to pre-enrich rare earth ores.
