Russia's Rosatom has developed technology for separating the collective concentrate of rare earth metals
By Rhod Mackenzie
Rosatom's Mining Division has developed a technology for the separation of collective rare earth metal (REM) concentrates. This will fill in the missing link in the technological chain of rare earths production.
Production is planned to be organised at the Solikamsk Magnesium Plant (SMZ), which together with the Lovozersky GOK (supplier of raw materials to SMZ) recently became part of the state corporation's mining division.
"Rosatom's mining division extracts loparite ore and enriches it at Lovozersky GOK, and then the loparite concentrate is sent to Solikamsk. Here we isolate niobium, tantalum and titanium, while other important rare earths (lanthanides) remain in the collective concentrate," explains SMZ general director Ruslan Dimukhamedov.
The essence of the technology is to dissolve the concentrate remaining after the isolation of a number of rare earth metals in nitric acid. The result is a nitrate solution of rare earths. Cerium is extracted from this solution by electro-oxidation and subsequent extraction. From the remaining solution, other rare earth elements are removed sequentially by extraction separation. The process involves precipitation, drying, and calcination.
According to Ruslan Dimukhamedov's recent interview with Monocle magazine, the technology's development started a year and a half ago, before SMZ and Lovozersky GOK joined the Rosatom group.
A pilot plant has been constructed, with a yearly output of one and a half tons of rare earth metals.
The technology is now being scaled up, and a separation complex is being designed at the SMZ site. Production is scheduled to begin within the next two to three years.
To ensure adequate raw materials for production, we will increase production volumes at the Lovozersky GOK. We have already started a project to develop new underground horizons of the Karnasurt mine, plan to develop alluvial deposits of the northern foothills of the Lovozero massif, and are modernizing the processing plant. Alexey Shemetov, first deputy head of Rosatom’s mining division, stated that the strategic goal is to ensure complete raw material independence for high-tech industries in Russia in terms of rare earth metals.
The production of cerium, lanthanum, neodymium, and praseodymium will enable the production of permanent magnets used in electric motors and windmill generators, as well as catalysts for petrochemical production and other high-tech products.
Furthermore, as per Rosatom, SMZ will reinstate the entire production process for tantalum metal ingot manufacturing. This will ensure that the state corporation can provide the required quantities of rolled products and powders in various forms for the Russian electronics sector.
