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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

SEPARATION OF RARE-EARTH ELEMENTS IN BASTNASITE BY ION EXCHANGE

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:4198058
A study of ion-exchange resin crosslinkage and eluant flow rate, resin- bed shape, and addition of separating ions to feed stock was undertaken to detenmine their effect on the separation efficiency of ion-exchange on bastnasite- rare-earth elements. Results show that 12% divibylbenzene (DVB) crosslinkage resin is detrimental to separation efficiency at flow rates over 2 to 5 mi/ min/ cm/sup 2/, whereas, separation with 4% DVB crosslinkage resin is relatively unaffected by flow rates between 2 and 10 ml/min/cm/sup 2/. Altering the resin- bed shape has the effect of increasing separation efficiency as the length-to- diameter ratio of the resin bed is increased from 10 to 135. Addition of base- metal ions io feed stock is an effective means of attaining sharp separations between samarium and neodymium, and cerium and lanthanum. (auth)
Research Organization:
Bureau of Mines
NSA Number:
NSA-14-000249
OSTI ID:
4198058
Report Number(s):
BMI-RI-5523
Country of Publication:
Country unknown/Code not available
Language:
English