Beneficiation of Rare Earth Elements (REE)s;Rare Earth Elements (REE);bastnaesite route;Rare Earth Elements (REE) containing ore

Categories:
Categories:
Unit processes/Materials production/Non-energetic raw materials
Location:
NMG-CN
Reference year: 2014 -
Description

The industrial process outlined pertains to the beneficiation of rare earth elements (REEs) using the bastnaesite route, which involves handling ores containing REEs. This process is crucial in the production of REE-containing materials that are essential for various advanced technologies. These materials typically serve in manufacturing high-performance magnets, catalysts, alloys, glass additives, and in electronics, such as smartphones and sophisticated defense systems. The production of 1 kg of the basket of rare earth oxides (REO) is the specific outcome of interest for this industrial process. When utilizing the LCA dataset for the outlined REE beneficiation process, practitioners must consider the specifics of the mineralogy and processing route when applying this data to their assessments. Pay special care to the inclusion of the full lifecycle, from mining to solvent extraction which includes precipitation and calcination. It is essential to consider the varying mineral types, radioactivity levels, waste treatment procedures, and the highlight of co-products in addition to REEs. For comparison purposes, the variations in mineralogy across different studies must be noted, as direct comparisons can be challenging. The functional unit for data application is the production of 1 kg of a mixed REO basket. Ensure that any analysis involving this data corresponds accurately to these methodological parameters.

Technology

In this study, the REE production system was analyzed from mining up to and including solvent extraction which contains product finishing processes such as precipitation and calcination

Process type
Unit
LCI modeling approach
Attributional
Multifunctional modeling
NONE
Format
ILCD
Aggregation type
NOT_APPLICABLE
Data provider
TianGong
Review status
Internal
Cost
Free
Contact
Tiangong LCI Data Working Group