Raffinate solution, acidic loading

The purified acid is recovered from the loaded organic stream by contacting with water in another countercurrent extraction step. In place of water, an aqueous alkafl can be used to recover a purified phosphate salt solution. A small portion of the purified acid is typically used in a backwashing operation to contact the loaded organic phase and to improve the purity of the extract phase prior to recovery of the purified acid. Depending on the miscibility of the solvent with the acid, the purified acid and the raffinate may be stripped of residual solvent which is recycled to the extraction loop. The purified acid can be treated for removal of residual organic impurities, stripped of fluoride to low (10 ppm) levels, and concentrated to the desired P2 s Many variations of this basic scheme have been developed to improve the extraction of phosphate and rejection of impurities to the raffinate stream, and numerous patents have been granted on solvent extraction processes. 

The leach liquor is first treated with a DEHPA solution to extract the heavy lanthanides, leaving the light elements in the raffinate. The loaded reagent is then stripped first with l.Smoldm nitric acid to remove the elements from neodymium to terbium, followed by 6moldm acid to separate yttrium and remaining heavy elements. Ytterbium and lutetium are only partially removed hence, a final strip with stronger acid, as mentioned earlier, or with 10% alkali is required before organic phase recycle. The main product from this flow sheet was yttrium, and the yttrium nitrate product was further extracted with a quaternary amine to produce a 99.999% product. 

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