A method of treating process water of a flotation plant is disclosed. The flotation plant comprises a mineral flotation line and a process water circuit for treating underflow and/or overflow of the flotation line. The process water circuit comprises a gravitational solid-liquid separator for dewatering underflow and/or overflow of the mineral flotation line to separate sediment from supernatant comprising at least water and unrecovered fine particles comprising valuable material; and a recover water tank for collecting process water. According to the method, prior to leading supernatant from the gravitational solid-liquid separator into the recover water tank, it is subjected to cleaning flotation, in which at least 90% of the flotation gas bubbles have a size from 0.2 to 250 μm, in a cleaning flotation unit. An arrangement for treating process water of a flotation plant, and its use are also disclosed.

A process for recovering a rare earth element. The process includes adding water and a nonaqueous acid to an ionic liquid, and dissolving an oxide of a first rare earth element directly into the ionic liquid to form an ionic solution comprising at least about 0.1 weight percent water, the acid and an ion of the first rare earth element. The process further includes applying a potential to the ionic solution to deposit the first rare earth element onto an electrode as a metal.

A process for recovering a rare earth element. The process includes adding water and a nonaqueous acid to an ionic liquid, and dissolving an oxide of a first rare earth element directly into the ionic liquid to form an ionic solution comprising at least about 0.1 weight percent water, the acid and an ion of the first rare earth element. The process further includes applying a potential to the ionic solution to deposit the first rare earth element onto an electrode as a metal.

Described herein are compositions and methods for preferentially separating mercury from a metal product where both are present in an ore leachate. The separation is accomplished by adding a precipitating agent and a coagulant to an ore leachate followed by separating a mercury-laden precipitate therefrom to collect the treated leachate. The treated leachate includes about 0 to 50% by weight of the mercury and about 90% to 100% by weight of the metal product present in the ore leachate. In embodiments, the method further includes adding a flocculant to the ore leachate prior to the separating of the mercury-laden precipitate.

A process for the recovery of lithium from lithium bearing mica rich minerals, the process comprising passing an ore containing one or more lithium bearing mica rich minerals to at least one pre-treatment step, passing the pre-treated ore to an acid leach step thereby producing a pregnant leach solution, subjecting the pregnant leach solution to a series of process steps in which one or more impurity metals are removed, and recovering lithium as a lithium containing salt product.

A process for recovering chromium from hexavalent chromium-containing wastewater comprises the following steps: (1) extracting hexavalent chromium in wastewater to an organic phase by using an extracting agent, and separating hexavalent chromium from a water phase, so as to acquire a hexavalent chromium-loaded organic phase; (2) reducing the hexavalent chromium-loaded organic phase by using an aqueous solution of an organic reducing agent, reducing hexavalent chromium into trivalent chromium, reversely extracting trivalent chromium into the water phase, and separating the organic phase from the water phase to acquire a solution of the trivalent chromium and a renewable organic phase, wherein the organic reducing agent is one or a mixture of alcohols, aldehydes and carboxylic acids having the carbon atom number ranging 1 to 3; and (3) performing solvent evaporation on the solution of trivalent chromium, catalyzing, and recovering the trivalent chromium.

A metallurgical method for operating an autogenous production circuit for producing metal(s), said method using one or more oxidizing agents generated electrolytically in a cell with one or more interfaces which allows anion exchange; said method comprising steps of: (a) leaching of mineral(s) or material(s) containing at least one metal of interest (LX) in a first cell (A) to produce a pregnant leach solution (2) and an acid-ferrous aqueous solution (8); (b) using solvent extraction process(es) or selection process(es) in a second cell (B) to concentrate said metal(s) of interest (SX) of said pregnant leach solution (2) to produce a rich electrolyte (5) and a raffinate solution (4), said raffinate solution (4) being recycled in said first cell (A); and (c) electrowinning (EW) in a third cell (C) of said rich electrolyte (5) received from said second cell (B) and said acid-ferrous aqueous solution (8) received from said first cell (A), for producing a metal cathode (6) and an acid-ferric acid solution (9), said acid-ferric acid solution (9) being recycled in said first cell (A), wherein said steps (a), (b) and (c) are performed in said autogenous circuit that includes said first, second and third cells (A, B, C) with one or more anionic interfaces producing anodic and cathode reactions.

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.

Methods for purifying .sup.89Zr are provided, .sup.89Zr compositions are provided, isotope compositions are provided that can include: a radio isotope and a nanoparticle, and methods for radio labeling monoclonal antibodies are provided.

Methods for purifying .sup.89Zr are provided, .sup.89Zr compositions are provided, isotope compositions are provided that can include: a radio isotope and a nanoparticle, and methods for radio labeling monoclonal antibodies are provided.