The present invention provides an environmentally safe method of collecting rare earth elements from mineral sources such as bastnasite deposits. The invention uses calcium hydroxide to decompose rare earth element minerals and avoids the use of sulfuric acid decomposition which produces toxic hydrofluoric acid as a byproduct. The invention's use of calcium hydroxide produces calcium fluoride as a byproduct which is non-toxic and has a number of industrial uses. The invention further provides a method of separating mixed rare earth element leachates into heavy and light rare earth element fractions using inorganic sodium salts as a precipitation agent.

The present invention provides a method which is capable of more strictly controlling the oxygen partial pressure required during the melting of a starting material, thereby being capable of recovering a valuable metal more efficiently. A method for recovering valuable metals (Cu, Ni, Co), said method comprising the following steps: a step for preparing, as a starting material, a charge that contains at least phosphorus (P), manganese (Mn) and valuable metals; a step for heating and melting the starting material into a melt, and subsequently forming the melt into a molten material that contains an alloy and slag; and a step for recovering the alloy that contains valuable metals by separating the slag from the molten material. With respect to this method for recovering valuable metals, the oxygen partial pressure in the melt is directly measured with use of an oxygen analyzer when the starting material is heated and melted.

The present invention provides a method which is capable of more strictly controlling the oxygen partial pressure required during the melting of a starting material, thereby being capable of recovering a valuable metal more efficiently. A method for recovering valuable metals (Cu, Ni, Co), said method comprising the following steps: a step for preparing, as a starting material, a charge that contains at least phosphorus (P), iron (Fe) and valuable metals; a step for heating and melting the starting material into a melt, and subsequently forming the melt into a molten material that contains an alloy and slag; and a step for recovering the alloy that contains valuable metals by separating the slag from the molten material. With respect to this method for recovering valuable metals, the oxygen partial pressure in the melt is directly measured with use of an oxygen analyzer when the starting material is heated and melted.

The present invention provides a method which is capable of more strictly controlling the oxygen partial pressure required during the melting of a starting material, thereby being capable of recovering a valuable metal more efficiently. A method for recovering valuable metals (Cu, Ni, Co), said method comprising the following steps: a step for preparing, as a starting material, a charge that contains at least phosphorus (P), iron (Fe) and valuable metals; a step for heating and melting the starting material into a melt, and subsequently forming the melt into a molten material that contains an alloy and slag; and a step for recovering the alloy that contains valuable metals by separating the slag from the molten material. With respect to this method for recovering valuable metals, the oxygen partial pressure in the melt is directly measured with use of an oxygen analyzer when the starting material is heated and melted.

Disclosed are methods to produce Thermal Barrier Coating (TBC) products using materials recycled from TBC waste. These methods include ways to produce zirconium and rare earth chemicals and raw materials appropriate for producing TBC materials.

Recovery of rare earth elements (REEs) from electronic wastes is a promising approach. The existing methods for separation of REE from the secondary sources are not economically viable and scalable. A method and system for separation of rare earth metals from a plurality of secondary sources has been provided. The magnet is obtained from the secondary sources which is then crushed to a coarser size. The powder is then demagnetized by heating and roasted at high temperature to obtain the metal oxides. The metals oxides are then dissolved by acid leaching to obtain leach liquor. Iron is removed from leach liquor by precipitation and separated by filtration. The individual REE is then separated by liquid-liquid extraction. The conditions in liquid-liquid extraction are adjusted such that only desired REE is separated. The extracted REE is then stripped out by acid. The individual rare earth element is then precipitated and dried.

Recovery of rare earth elements (REEs) from electronic wastes is a promising approach. The existing methods for separation of REE from the secondary sources are not economically viable and scalable. A method and system for separation of rare earth metals from a plurality of secondary sources has been provided. The magnet is obtained from the secondary sources which is then crushed to a coarser size. The powder is then demagnetized by heating and roasted at high temperature to obtain the metal oxides. The metals oxides are then dissolved by acid leaching to obtain leach liquor. Iron is removed from leach liquor by precipitation and separated by filtration. The individual REE is then separated by liquid-liquid extraction. The conditions in liquid-liquid extraction are adjusted such that only desired REE is separated. The extracted REE is then stripped out by acid. The individual rare earth element is then precipitated and dried.

A method removes phosphorus from a phosphorus-containing substance. In the method, the phosphorus-containing substance that is used as a raw material for metal smelting or refining is reacted with a nitrogen-containing gas so that phosphorus in the phosphorus-containing substance is removed through nitriding. Prior to a treatment of a nitriding removal of phosphorus from the phosphorus-containing substance, a treatment is performed in which the phosphorus-containing substance is heated to an unmolten state temperature range so as to react with a reducing agent, thereby reducing at least a part of metal oxide in the phosphorus-containing substance.

The present invention relates to a method for extracting a refractory metal selected from Nb, Ta, Mo, W and V, from a solid material comprising the refractory metal in an oxidised form, the method using a layered double hydroxide, and the use of a layered double hydroxide for extracting or purifying a refractory metal selected from Nb, Ta, Mo, W and V.

Pyro-hydrometallurgical methods are described to economically and environmentally recover a target metal from iron slag or steel slag. For instance, the method can enable subjecting an iron or steel slag feed to acid-baking with an acid to produce a dried mixture comprising at least one soluble metal salts, then subjecting the dried mixture to water leaching to an aqueous solution comprising an aqueous leachate rich in said target metal and solid residues and subsequently separating the aqueous leachate rich in said target metal from the solid residues. This acid-baking water-leaching method facilitates efficient recovery of target metal compared to conventional methods.