Technologies for Rare Earths Enrichment of a Novel Low-Cost Raw Material

Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) and the University of Connecticut propose a Phase II program to develop enrichment processes for concentrating the rare earth elements (REE) content of a novel, low cost, and abundantly and readily available industrial waste material in the United States. This material has not previously been considered as a domestic REE source. In Phase I, laboratory scale experiments were performed using several enrichment techniques and REE concentrations were measured at various process stages. Using these measurements, enrichment factors for extractable REEs were determined with reference to a specific REE recovery methodology. For our chosen raw material, we found that separation/enrichment processes different from conventional mineral processing are necessary. The Phase II program will focus on the development a range of enrichment processes, scale up of the processes, process modeling and simulation, and modeling of process and product economics. The key Phase II outputs will be pilot plant design for implementation subsequent to Phase II, process simulation models, and process/products economics models. In Phase II, PSI will build upon the relationships developed with potential technology transition partners during Phase I.