Rare earth minerals, extraction

In most uranium ores the element is present in several, usually many diverse minerals. Some of these dissolve in sulfuric acid solutions under mild conditions, while others may require more aggressive conditions. Thus, while it may be comfortable to recover 90-95% of the uranium present, it may be tough or impractical to win the balance amount of a few percent economically. Some of the most difficult uranium minerals to leach are those of the multiple oxide variety, most commonly brannerite and davidite. These usually have U(IV) as well as U(VI), together with a number of other elements such as titanium, iron, vanadium, thorium, and rare earths. To extract uranium from these sources is not as easy as other relatively simpler commonly occurring sources. 

Praesodymium may be recovered from its minerals monazite and bastana-site. The didymia extract of rare earth minerals is a mixture of praesodymia and neodymia, primarily oxides of praesodymium and neodymium. Several methods are known for isolation of rare earths. These are applicable to all rare earths including praesodymium. They include solvent extractions, ion-exchange, and fractional crystallization. While the first two methods form easy and rapid separation of rare earth metals, fractional crystaUization is more tedious. Extractions and separations of rare earths have been discussed in detail earlier (see Neodymium and Cerium). 

Lanthanum — (Gr. lanthanein, to lie hidden), La at. wt. 138.90547(7) at. no. 57 m.p. 920°C b.p. 3464°C sp. gr. 6.145 (25°C) valence 3. Mosander in 1839 extracted a new earth lanthana, from impure cerium nitrate, and recognized the new element. Lanthanum is found in rare-earth minerals such as cerite, monazite, allanite, and hastnasite. Monazite and bastnasite are principal ores in which lanthanum occurs... 

Scandium is also extracted by solvent extraction from its resources. These are, however, essentially non-rare earth minerals. The main scandium resource minerals are uranium minerals, and trace amounts occur in iron and magnesium rich rocks. 

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