Chemical treatment of el-Missikat fluorite-bearing ore material, Egypt, for recovery of pure yttrium oxide

Abstract EN

El Missikat fluorite-bearing ore material, Eastern Desert, Egypt, has been identified as containing a quantity of heavy rare earth elements (REE) such as yttrium fluorite mineral.

Rare earth concentrate prepared from sulfate solution of El Missikat fluorite- bearing ore material assays 0.615 % of REE.

The solution was prepared from ore material by two subsequent thermal steps namely; fluorine deactivation by MgO and roasting by (NH4)2SO4.The deactivated roasted matrix was leached with hot distilled H2O to prepare the solution which assays 0.846g / L of REE.

This solution was treated with 20g of oxalic acid to produce impure RE oxalate cake which was ignited at 950oC.

It was then dissolved in concentrated HNO3 to prepare the RE nitrate solution for extracting yttrium using tri butyl phosphate (TBP) in kerosene.

The produced yttrium oxide was of 97.2% purity.