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Title: Methods for liquid extraction of rare earth metals using ionic liquids

Patent ·
OSTI ID:1651049

A method for extracting a rare earth element from a rare earth-containing substance, the method comprising mixing the rare earth-containing substance with a protic ionic liquid, such as: wherein R1 is selected from hydrogen atom and hydrocarbon groups containing 1 to 6 carbon atoms; R2 and R3 are independently selected from hydrocarbon groups containing 1 to 12 carbon atoms; and X− is an anionic species; to produce a composition of the formula (RE)(amide)yXz at least partially dissolved in the protic ionic liquid, wherein RE is at least one rare earth element having an atomic number selected from 39, 57-71, and 90-103; y is 2-6; z is a number that charge balances the total positive charge of RE; and the amide is the conjugate base of the cationic portion of the protic ionic liquid of Formula (1) and has the following formula:

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-00OR22725
Assignee:
UT-Battelle, LLC (Oak Ridge, TN)
Patent Number(s):
10,689,727
Application Number:
15/135,753
OSTI ID:
1651049
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: 04/22/2016
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (7)

Supported liquid membrane separation patent July 2000
Method and apparatus for separating ions of metallic elements in aqueous solution patent November 2006
Aqueous electrodeposition of rare earth and transition metals patent October 2001
Process fir Recovering Rare Earth Metal Values patent September 1969
Recovery of metal values from spent catalysts patent January 1988
Methods for Separating Medical Isotopes Using Ionic Liquids patent-application March 2014
Extraction of Noble Metal (Ions) by Means of Ionic Liquids patent-application September 2014