A process (10) for the treatment of a lithium containing material (12), the process comprising the steps of: (i) Preparing a process solution from the lithium containing material (12); (ii) Passing the process solution from step (i) to a series of impurity removal steps, one of which is an HCl sparging step 58, thereby providing a substantially purified lithium chloride solution; and (iii) Passing the purified lithium chloride solution of step (ii) to an electrolysis step (70) thereby producing a lithium hydroxide solution.

An additional step in which the lithium hydroxide solution produced in step (iii) is carbonated by passing compressed carbon dioxide (88) through the solution, thereby producing a lithium carbonate precipitate, is also disclosed.

A process (10) for the treatment of a lithium containing material (12), the process comprising the steps of: (i) Preparing a process solution from the lithium containing material (12); (ii) Passing the process solution from step (i) to a series of impurity removal steps, one of which is an HCl sparging step 58, thereby providing a substantially purified lithium chloride solution; and (iii) Passing the purified lithium chloride solution of step (ii) to an electrolysis step (70) thereby producing a lithium hydroxide solution.

An additional step in which the lithium hydroxide solution produced in step (iii) is carbonated by passing compressed carbon dioxide (88) through the solution, thereby producing a lithium carbonate precipitate, is also disclosed.

Processing schemes for the extraction and/or separation of rare earth elements (REEs) from rare earth containing products such as rare earth mineral ore bodies and intermediate products derived from rare earth mineral ore bodies. The processing schemes may be applied independently or in various combinations to produce end-products that have a very high purity with respect to REEs, including high value critical REEs. The processes may include acid digestion, formation of rare earth oxalate compounds, metathesizing of rare earth oxalate compounds, selective precipitation and/or solvent extraction to form the high purity REE end products.

Processing schemes for the extraction and/or separation of rare earth elements (REEs) from rare earth containing products such as rare earth mineral ore bodies and intermediate products derived from rare earth mineral ore bodies. The processing schemes may be applied independently or in various combinations to produce end-products that have a very high purity with respect to REEs, including high value critical REEs. The processes may include acid digestion, formation of rare earth oxalate compounds, metathesizing of rare earth oxalate compounds, selective precipitation and/or solvent extraction to form the high purity REE end products.

Disclosed is an incomplete extraction method for recycling batteries, which may include: introducing a pretreatment gas into a device loaded with a waste battery powder, and bringing a gas outlet into communication with absorption liquid A and absorption liquid B in order; raising the temperature and introducing the pretreatment gas; reducing the temperature and introducing a reaction gas; raising the temperature, introducing the reaction gas, and then introducing the pretreatment gas; and reducing the temperature, and turning off the pretreatment gas; adding an extractant to absorption liquid A, mixing the mixture, taking organic phase A, adding a stripping agent, and taking aqueous phase A; and adjusting the pH to acidity, then adding an extractant, taking organic phase B, adding a stripping agent to obtain a stock solution enriched in Li, Mn, Ni and Co.

Provided is a method for easily and inexpensively separating a rare earth element contained in an aqueous solution.

A method for recovering gold from electronic components includes a first macro-step of dissolving gold and copper from the electronic components using an aqueous solution comprising HNO.sub.3 concentrated in a percentage varying from 28% to 38% and concentrated HCl in a percentage varying from 15% to 25%. A second macro-step includes adding KOH to the obtained solution to bring it to a pH between 0.5 and 0.9. A third macro-step includes adding to the solution obtained in the second macro-step an amount of ascorbic acid dissolved in water equal to the amount of gold hypothetically present in a sample of the first macro-step, multiplied by a factor ranging between 1.5 and 3, causing precipitation of gold, which is separated from the solution and made available in powder form in a fourth macro-step.

A method for recovering gold from electronic components includes a first macro-step of dissolving gold and copper from the electronic components using an aqueous solution comprising HNO.sub.3 concentrated in a percentage varying from 28% to 38% and concentrated HCl in a percentage varying from 15% to 25%. A second macro-step includes adding KOH to the obtained solution to bring it to a pH between 0.5 and 0.9. A third macro-step includes adding to the solution obtained in the second macro-step an amount of ascorbic acid dissolved in water equal to the amount of gold hypothetically present in a sample of the first macro-step, multiplied by a factor ranging between 1.5 and 3, causing precipitation of gold, which is separated from the solution and made available in powder form in a fourth macro-step.

A method of processing a purified rare earth sulphate solution, the method including the steps of: contacting the purified rare earth sulphate solution with sodium hydroxide to precipitate rare earths as rare earth hydroxide, including the addition of an oxidant to oxidise cerium contained in the rare earth hydroxide precipitate; and selectively leaching the rare earth hydroxide precipitate with hydrochloric acid to form a rare earth chloride solution and a residue.

A method of processing a purified rare earth sulphate solution, the method including the steps of: contacting the purified rare earth sulphate solution with sodium hydroxide to precipitate rare earths as rare earth hydroxide, including the addition of an oxidant to oxidise cerium contained in the rare earth hydroxide precipitate; and selectively leaching the rare earth hydroxide precipitate with hydrochloric acid to form a rare earth chloride solution and a residue.