Rare Earth Oxides (REO) Extraction;Rare Earth Oxides (REO);General process;ion-adsorption clays

Categories:
Categories:
Unit processes/Materials production/Non-energetic raw materials
Location:
CN - China
Reference year: 2016 -
Description

The mixed REOs produced through the process described are utilized in various industries requiring high-purity rare earth elements, such as electronics manufacturing, production of magnets, phosphors, alloys, and catalysts. Given their 90% purity, these REOs are suitable for high-specification requirements and specialized applications where the composition and consistency of rare earth elements are critical. When utilizing this dataset, attention should be given to the fact that the LCA data reflects the status of the production processes in Ganzhou city, Jiangxi Province, and might not be directly applicable to similar processes in different regions. Users should consider the technological applicability and consider adjustments when applying this data to different geographical contexts or technological setups. Methodological considerations, including in situ leaching method, extraction, and calcination, should be encapsulated in modeling. Upstream and downstream processes such as solvent extraction and metal separation, which are not included in the system boundary of this LCA, should be separately accounted for if included in the scope of the user’s analysis.

Technology

This study characterizes the production of mixed REOs from ion-adsorption clays in southern China, with 90% purity. Compositions of individual rare earth minerals in REO differ from ore to ore. Ores from two ion-adsorption clays in Jiangxi Providence, the same region from where data were collected for this LCA, are shown in Table 1, and though they might not exactly characterize the particular REOs mined at the sites from which data were collected in this study, they are likely to be similar.1 The system boundary for the LCA study includes mining using in situ leaching methods, extraction, and calcination. These processes are all conducted on site, and the final product is mixed REOs. Further processes such as solvent extraction and individual metal separation are not included, as they often occur off-site.

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