U.A.Q Ahmed, J Petersen
The demand for rare earth elements (REEs) is continuously increasing since all high-tech products contain them. The Steenkampskraal (SKK) mine holds the full spectrum of REEs including high-value neodymium (Nd) used in the manufacture of high-strength magnets, computers, and hard drives. This study aims to compare caustic and sulphuric acid cracking methods for processing monazite from the SKK mine to determine which method is more suitable based on recovery, capital expenditure (CAPEX), operating expenditure (OPEX), and Safety, Health, Radiation, Environment and Quality (SHREQ) considerations. Experiments developed flow sheets to establish the optimum conditions for each process, assessing their impact on recovery rates, equipment choice, reagent and power consumption, and downstream processing effects. The results demonstrated that the choice of cracking method significantly influences both the economic and environmental aspects of processing SKK monazite, providing crucial insights for the development of a suitable processing plant. This research contributes to better understanding and processing strategies for high-grade REE sources.
@article{4beb40df-16cf-46f4-8691-8def7ca1d6d7,
title={A Hydrometallurgical Comparison between the Caustic and Sulphuric Acid Cracking of Steenkampskraal (SKK) Monazite},
author={U.A.Q Ahmed and J Petersen},
year={2017},
language={en}
}TY - JOUR TI - A Hydrometallurgical Comparison between the Caustic and Sulphuric Acid Cracking of Steenkampskraal (SKK) Monazite AU - U.A.Q Ahmed AU - J Petersen PY - 2017 LA - en ER -
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