RECOVERY OF ZINC AND RARE EARTHS FROM ABU RUSHIED FERRUGINOUS ORE MATERIAL, SOUTH EASTERN DESERT, EGYPT

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Nuclear Materials Authority, P.O. Box: 530 El-Maadi, Cairo, Egypt

2 El-Azhar University, Faculty of Science (Girls), Chemistry Department.

Abstract

This paper is concerned with the recovery of separate Zn and REEs pure concentrates from a sulphate leach liquor of Abu Rushied ferruginous ore material. Preparation of separate Zn/REEs concentrates was carried out by either selective oxalate precipitation of the REEs or else by bulk hydroxides precipitation followed by re-dissolution of Zn as zincate.  The leached REE values could also be recovered in two main steps namely; precipitation of LREEs as their double sulphate during or directly after the acid leaching while the potentiality of individual separation of the HREEs concentrate left behind was studied through the displacement technique using the cationic exchange resin Dowex 50W-X8. A tentative flowsheet for the overall treatment of Abu Rushied ore material is also presented.

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