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Title: Enhancement of a Process Flowsheet for Recovering and Concentrating Critical Materials from Bituminous Coal Sources

Abstract

Recovery of rare earth elements (REE) from coal-related resources has recently received significant interest due to supply concerns and their key roles in critical industries and defense-related technologies. In this study, an integrated flowsheet consisting of sorting, crushing/grinding, physical separation, acid leaching, solvent extraction, and selective precipitation was designed to achieve continuous production of rare earth products from various coal-related resources such as coarse refuse and acid mine drainage. A pilot plant was constructed that enabled continuous testing of the circuitry on a range of different coal-based feedstocks. Despite achieving significant success in producing high-grade rare earth oxide products, low REE recovery values and high operational costs necessitated a re-evaluation of the process flowsheet. This article describes the circuitry improvements that were based on both laboratory and pilot plant test results. Roasting as a pre-leach treatment was found to significantly improve the leaching rate and overall REE recovery values. After roasting West Kentucky No. 13 and Fire Clay coal refuse materials at 600 °C, REE recovery increased by 60 and 40 absolute percentage points, respectively. Rare earth concentration in the pregnant leachate solution (PLS) was increased to around 700 ppm prior to solvent extraction using a staged precipitation method. REEsmore » in the precipitate were re-dissolved, purified, and extracted from the PLS using solvent extraction and selective precipitation to values of around 80%. As a result of the improvements, chemical consumption in the acid leaching and solvent extraction processes was significantly reduced. A techno-economical assessment of the improved flowsheet indicated significant commercialization potential.« less

Authors:
ORCiD logo [1];  [1];  [1];  [2];  [2];  [2]
  1. Univ. of Kentucky, Lexington, KY (United States)
  2. Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ. (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Univ. of Kentucky, Lexington, KY (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Fossil Energy (FE)
OSTI Identifier:
1808639
Grant/Contract Number:  
FE0027035
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 37; Journal Issue: 1; Journal ID: ISSN 2524-3462
Publisher:
Springer
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT; Rare earth elements; Coal; Recovery; Roasting; Staged precipitation; Techno-economical assessment

Citation Formats

Honaker, R. Q., Zhang, W., Werner, J., Noble, A., Luttrell, G. H., and Yoon, R. H. Enhancement of a Process Flowsheet for Recovering and Concentrating Critical Materials from Bituminous Coal Sources. United States: N. p., 2019. Web. doi:10.1007/s42461-019-00148-x.
Honaker, R. Q., Zhang, W., Werner, J., Noble, A., Luttrell, G. H., & Yoon, R. H. Enhancement of a Process Flowsheet for Recovering and Concentrating Critical Materials from Bituminous Coal Sources. United States. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42461-019-00148-x
Honaker, R. Q., Zhang, W., Werner, J., Noble, A., Luttrell, G. H., and Yoon, R. H. Sun . "Enhancement of a Process Flowsheet for Recovering and Concentrating Critical Materials from Bituminous Coal Sources". United States. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42461-019-00148-x. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1808639.
@article{osti_1808639,
title = {Enhancement of a Process Flowsheet for Recovering and Concentrating Critical Materials from Bituminous Coal Sources},
author = {Honaker, R. Q. and Zhang, W. and Werner, J. and Noble, A. and Luttrell, G. H. and Yoon, R. H.},
abstractNote = {Recovery of rare earth elements (REE) from coal-related resources has recently received significant interest due to supply concerns and their key roles in critical industries and defense-related technologies. In this study, an integrated flowsheet consisting of sorting, crushing/grinding, physical separation, acid leaching, solvent extraction, and selective precipitation was designed to achieve continuous production of rare earth products from various coal-related resources such as coarse refuse and acid mine drainage. A pilot plant was constructed that enabled continuous testing of the circuitry on a range of different coal-based feedstocks. Despite achieving significant success in producing high-grade rare earth oxide products, low REE recovery values and high operational costs necessitated a re-evaluation of the process flowsheet. This article describes the circuitry improvements that were based on both laboratory and pilot plant test results. Roasting as a pre-leach treatment was found to significantly improve the leaching rate and overall REE recovery values. After roasting West Kentucky No. 13 and Fire Clay coal refuse materials at 600 °C, REE recovery increased by 60 and 40 absolute percentage points, respectively. Rare earth concentration in the pregnant leachate solution (PLS) was increased to around 700 ppm prior to solvent extraction using a staged precipitation method. REEs in the precipitate were re-dissolved, purified, and extracted from the PLS using solvent extraction and selective precipitation to values of around 80%. As a result of the improvements, chemical consumption in the acid leaching and solvent extraction processes was significantly reduced. A techno-economical assessment of the improved flowsheet indicated significant commercialization potential.},
doi = {10.1007/s42461-019-00148-x},
journal = {Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration},
number = 1,
volume = 37,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 2019},
month = {Sun Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 2019}
}

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