Bioleaching ion-unexchangeable rare earth in ion-adsorption type rare earth waste tailing

Zhang, Jikai; Li, Ping; Guan, Xindi; Chang, Qingqing; Zhang, Hailin; Han, Yunwu; Li, Qian; Xiong, Jiachun; Wang, Huijia; Yang, Youming; Zhang, Xin; Xie, Haijiao; Zheng, Shili

doi:10.1016/j.seppur.2024.127691

Title: Bioleaching ion-unexchangeable rare earth in ion-adsorption type rare earth waste tailing

Journal Article · 25 April 2024 · Separation and Purification Technology

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2024.127691 · OSTI ID:2479444

Zhang, Jikai ^[1]; Li, Ping ^[2]; Guan, Xindi ^[1]; Chang, Qingqing ^[2]; Zhang, Hailin ^[2]; Han, Yunwu ^[2]; Li, Qian ^[2]; Xiong, Jiachun ^[2]; Wang, Huijia ^[2]; Yang, Youming ^[3]; Zhang, Xin ^[4]; Xie, Haijiao ^[5]; Zheng, Shili ^[2]

Jiangxi University of Science and Technology (China); Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) (China)
Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) (China)
Jiangxi University of Science and Technology (China)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Hangzhou Yanqu Information Technology Co., Ltd. (China)

Ion-adsorption type rare earth ores (IREO) in China serve as the primary source of medium and heavy rare earth globally. With the rapidly growing demand for rare earth elements (REEs) and the dwindling supply of premium IREO, enhancing the recovery of REEs, especially the ion-unexchangeable REEs with ultra-low content and ambiguous speciation from IREO or its tailing, has become a critical trend and challenge. Here, this study identified the occurrences of ion-unexchangeable REEs, primarily detected in Fe-enriched minerals, xenotime, and monazite of IREO using TESCAN integrated mineral analyzer (TIMA) and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (LA-ICP-MS) analysis. To extract these elusive REEs, a bioleaching technique utilizing Aspergillus niger (A. niger) metabolites was proposed, achieving a leaching yield of 31.4 wt%. Complementary sequential chemical extraction methods (SCEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and density functional theory (DFT) calculations further elucidate the underlying mechanism, involving the carboxylic acid produced by the metabolic process of microbes that dissolves goethite by disrupting Fe—O bonds and liberating REEs, which complexed with carboxylate (R—COO—), to promote further dissolution. This work offers insight into enhancing the recovery of ion-unexchangeable REEs from IREO or its tailing, paving the way for sustainable and efficient rare earth mining practices.

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Research Organization:: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Chemical Sciences, Geosciences & Biosciences Division (CSGB)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC05-76RL01830

OSTI ID:: 2479444

Report Number(s):: PNNL-SA--195228

Journal Information:: Separation and Purification Technology, Journal Name: Separation and Purification Technology Vol. 348; ISSN 1383-5866

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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