A method for extracting and separating rare earth elements comprising providing a rare earth-containing ore or tailings, grinding the rare earth-containing ore to form powdered ore; leaching the powered ore with at least one mineral acid, forming a leach solution comprising at least one metal ion, rare earth elements and a solid material, separating the solid material from the leach solution to form aqueous-metal concentrate, precipitating the aqueous-metal concentrate to selectively remove the metal ion from the leach solution and obtain a precipitate of the rare earth elements; heating the precipitate of the rare earth elements in air to form oxide of the rare earth elements, mixing the oxide of the rare earth elements with an ammonium salt and heating in a dry air/nitrogen, forming a mixture of anhydrous rare earth salts in an aqueous solution, and separating the rare earth elements from the aqueous solution by means of an electrowinning process.

A method for extracting and separating rare earth elements comprising providing a rare earth-containing ore or tailings, grinding the rare earth-containing ore to form powdered ore; leaching the powered ore with at least one mineral acid, forming a leach solution comprising at least one metal ion, rare earth elements and a solid material, separating the solid material from the leach solution to form aqueous-metal concentrate, precipitating the aqueous-metal concentrate to selectively remove the metal ion from the leach solution and obtain a precipitate of the rare earth elements; heating the precipitate of the rare earth elements in air to form oxide of the rare earth elements, mixing the oxide of the rare earth elements with an ammonium salt and heating in a dry air/nitrogen, forming a mixture of anhydrous rare earth salts in an aqueous solution, and separating the rare earth elements from the aqueous solution by means of an electrowinning process.

An anode assembly is provided having a pair of channels; anodes in slidable communication with the channels; conduit to direct carrier gas to the anode; and conduit to remove reaction gas from the anode. Also provided is a method for continuously feeding anodes into a electrolytic bath, the method having the steps of stacking the anodes such that all of the anodes reside in the same plane and wherein the stack includes a bottom anode; contacting the bottom anode with the electrolytic bath for a time and at a current sufficient to cause the bottom anode to be consumed during an electrolytic process; using gravity to replace the bottom anode with other anodes defining the stack.

An anode assembly is provided having a pair of channels; anodes in slidable communication with the channels; conduit to direct carrier gas to the anode; and conduit to remove reaction gas from the anode. Also provided is a method for continuously feeding anodes into a electrolytic bath, the method having the steps of stacking the anodes such that all of the anodes reside in the same plane and wherein the stack includes a bottom anode; contacting the bottom anode with the electrolytic bath for a time and at a current sufficient to cause the bottom anode to be consumed during an electrolytic process; using gravity to replace the bottom anode with other anodes defining the stack.

A method for extracting uranium with a coupling device of wind power generation and uranium extraction from seawater includes the following steps: adding oxygen vacancy (OV)-containing In.sub.2O.sub.3-x to absolute ethanol, and subjecting a resulting mixture to stirring and ultrasonic treatment to obtain a solution of In.sub.2O.sub.3-x in absolute ethanol; coating the solution uniformly on carbon cloth, and drying to obtain carbon cloth coated with OV-containing In.sub.2O.sub.3-x; inserting the coated carbon cloth (as a working electrode) and another blank carbon cloth (as a counter electrode) into a plastic carrier of a coupling device; fixing a small wind power generation apparatus above the plastic carrier, and connecting the working electrode and the counter electrode to a storage battery of the apparatus via wires; and placing the coupling device in seawater, and after the storage battery is charged, energizing the working electrode and the counter electrode to extract uranium from the seawater.

A method for extracting uranium with a coupling device of wind power generation and uranium extraction from seawater includes the following steps: adding oxygen vacancy (OV)-containing In.sub.2O.sub.3-x to absolute ethanol, and subjecting a resulting mixture to stirring and ultrasonic treatment to obtain a solution of In.sub.2O.sub.3-x in absolute ethanol; coating the solution uniformly on carbon cloth, and drying to obtain carbon cloth coated with OV-containing In.sub.2O.sub.3-x; inserting the coated carbon cloth (as a working electrode) and another blank carbon cloth (as a counter electrode) into a plastic carrier of a coupling device; fixing a small wind power generation apparatus above the plastic carrier, and connecting the working electrode and the counter electrode to a storage battery of the apparatus via wires; and placing the coupling device in seawater, and after the storage battery is charged, energizing the working electrode and the counter electrode to extract uranium from the seawater.

A porous transparent electrode is formed where a film comprising of semiconducting nanoparticles is decorated with polyoxometalates (POMs) bonded to their surfaces. The semiconducting nanoparticles are transparent metal oxide. The semiconducting nanoparticles include tin-doped indium oxide (ITO), fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO), or titanium dioxide (TiO.sub.2). In an embodiment, the POM is [SiW.sub.12O.sub.40].sup.4−; [α-P.sub.2W.sub.18O.sub.62].sup.6−; or [α.sub.2-P.sub.2W.sub.17O.sub.61].sup.10−. The semiconducting nanoparticles bond to the POM through a combination of electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonds. The porous transparent electrode can be placed in a protonated form or ion-paired with alkali metal cations or tetraalkylammonium cations.

A porous transparent electrode is formed where a film comprising of semiconducting nanoparticles is decorated with polyoxometalates (POMs) bonded to their surfaces. The semiconducting nanoparticles are transparent metal oxide. The semiconducting nanoparticles include tin-doped indium oxide (ITO), fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO), or titanium dioxide (TiO.sub.2). In an embodiment, the POM is [SiW.sub.12O.sub.40].sup.4−; [α-P.sub.2W.sub.18O.sub.62].sup.6−; or [α.sub.2-P.sub.2W.sub.17O.sub.61].sup.10−. The semiconducting nanoparticles bond to the POM through a combination of electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonds. The porous transparent electrode can be placed in a protonated form or ion-paired with alkali metal cations or tetraalkylammonium cations.

An electrolyte manufacturing device includes an electrolytic cell including a diaphragm separating an anode chamber from a cathode chamber, a circulator circulating an anolyte to the anode chamber and circulating a catholyte to the cathode chamber, and a power source supplying current. A cathode in the electrolytic cell includes a carbon fiber layer on a plane facing the diaphragm. The electrolytic cell includes an anode net placed between the anode and the diaphragm, and a cathode net placed between the cathode and the diaphragm. The circulator circulates the anolyte at a flow rate that is greater than the flow rate of the catholyte and is equal to or greater than twice the volume of gaseous oxygen generated in the anode chamber per unit time at 0° C.

An electrolyte manufacturing device includes an electrolytic cell including a diaphragm separating an anode chamber from a cathode chamber, a circulator circulating an anolyte to the anode chamber and circulating a catholyte to the cathode chamber, and a power source supplying current. A cathode in the electrolytic cell includes a carbon fiber layer on a plane facing the diaphragm. The electrolytic cell includes an anode net placed between the anode and the diaphragm, and a cathode net placed between the cathode and the diaphragm. The circulator circulates the anolyte at a flow rate that is greater than the flow rate of the catholyte and is equal to or greater than twice the volume of gaseous oxygen generated in the anode chamber per unit time at 0° C.