The present invention relates to a process for recovering metals from metal-bearing material, said process comprising the step of contacting the metal-bearing material with condensed phosphoric acid at a temperature of greater than 215° C. and less than 300° C. for a period of time sufficient to at least partially dissolve the metal-bearing material; to provide a leaching solution containing metal ions. The invention is applicable to a range of metals including the rare earth elements, as well as thorium and uranium. The invention is applicable to a range of metal-bearing materials, particularly phosphate minerals such as monazite and xenotime.

A method for separating thorium and cerium from a solid concentrate comprising compounds of thorium, cerium and further rare earth metals, comprising: a) contacting the solid concentrate with an acid to achieve an acid composition with a pH of less than 0.5; b) reacting the acid composition obtained in step a) with ozone or heating the acid composition at a temperature ranging from 110° C. to 130° C. for a time period ranging from 1 to 3 hours, thereby oxidizing the cerium ions in the acid composition to an oxidation state of +IV; c) increasing, to at most 2, the pH of the composition obtained in step b), resulting in the precipitation of thorium and cerium compounds; and d) separating the precipitated thorium and cerium compounds from the composition obtained in step c) to obtain an aqueous acidic rare earth solution depleted in thorium and cerium.

A method for beneficiation of mineralogical materials that comprises using a one or more of a suite of processes including fluidized bed separation, plasma-based stimulation or enhancement of chemical reactions using a Reactive X-Ray Chemical Processor, field enhancement of chemical reactions and process and drying. All of the processes can be used singly, jointly, simultaneously or sequentially in multiple stages. The methods are nearly non-polluting and serve to replace polluting wet chemistry and other beneficiation techniques.

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.

According to an embodiment, a nuclear fuel material recovery method of recovering a nuclear fuel material containing thorium metal by reprocessing an oxide of a nuclear fuel material containing thorium oxide in a spent fuel is provided. The method has: a first electrolytic reduction step of electrolytically reducing thorium oxide in a first molten salt of alkaline-earth metal halide; a first reduction product washing step of washing a reduction product; and a main electrolytic separation step of separating the reduction product. The first molten salt further contains alkali metal halide, and contains at least one out of a group consisting of calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, calcium fluoride and magnesium fluoride. The method may further has a second electrolytic reduction step of electrolytically reducing uranium oxide, plutonium oxide, and minor actinoid oxide in a second molten salt of alkali metal halide.

The present invention relates to use of an amino-containing neutral phosphine extractant of Formula I in extraction and separation of thorium, and a process of extracting and separating thorium using the amino-containing neutral phosphine extractant of Formula I,

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wherein, R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are each independently selected from the group consisting of C.sub.1-C.sub.12 alkyl, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 are each independently selected from the group consisting of C.sub.1-16 alkyl and hydrogen, and n is an integer of 1 to 8.

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.

Methods and systems for separation of thorium from uranium and their decay products are provided. The method comprises combining a nuclear fuel feedstock comprising thorium and uranium with a first acid to form a first solution. The first solution is contacted an ion exchange resin that is selective for thorium or uranium. The thorium or uranium is at least partially removed from the first solution by binding the thorium or uranium to the ion exchange resin thereby forming a second solution. The second solution is combined with oxalic acid to precipitate uranium or thorium from the second solution to form a precipitate. The precipitate is separated from the second solution.

Provided are a method and a system for processing a rare earth concentrate ore. The method comprises (1) mixing the rare earth concentrate ore and concentrated sulfuric acid, thereby obtaining a mixed slurry and a first fluorine-containing gas; (2) mixing the mixed slurry and an initiator liquid for acidolysis, thereby obtaining a clinker and a second fluorine-containing gas; (3) subjecting the clinker to leaching with water, thereby obtaining a leached slurry; (4) subjecting the leached slurry to a solid-liquid separation, thereby obtaining a filtrate and a leached slag, and recycling the leached slag to step (2) for acidolysis again.