dc.contributor.author | Kemp, D. | |
dc.contributor.author | Cilliers, A.C. | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2017-03-30T08:47:59Z | |
dc.date.available | 2017-03-30T08:47:59Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2016 | |
dc.identifier.citation | Kemp, D. & Cilliers, A.C. 2016. High-temperature thermal plasma treatment of monazite followed by aqueous digestion. Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 116 (10):901-906. [http://www.saimm.co.za/publications/journal-papers] | en_US |
dc.identifier.issn | 2225-6253 | |
dc.identifier.issn | 2411-9717 (Online) | |
dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10394/21005 | |
dc.identifier.uri | http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2411-9717/2016/v116n10a2 | |
dc.identifier.uri | http://www.saimm.co.za/Journal/v116n10p901.pdf | |
dc.description.abstract | Monazite is a chemically inert, radioactive phosphate mineral that
contains the light rare earth metals (Ce, La, Nd, Pr and Y), thorium and
uranium. A new process, which improves the extraction efficiency of
monazite, is under development. The equilibrium mole composition, in
conjunction with the Gibbs free energy, indicates that as monazite is
heated in the presence of carbon to a temperature above 1400°C, it
decomposes into the rare earth oxides. These temperatures are within the
operational limits of a thermal plasma. When monazite is fed to a DC
plasma it forms amorphous plasma-treated monazite (PTM), which is more
susceptible to chemical attack. This increased chemical reactivity permits
dilute mineral acids to digest the PTM, which leads to higher extraction
efficiencies of the rare earth elements than when monazite is digested
using the conventional processes. When the conventional process for
digestion of monazite is adapted to PTM, the extraction of rare earth
elements, thorium and uranium is increased significantly | en_US |
dc.language.iso | en | en_US |
dc.publisher | SAIMM | en_US |
dc.subject | Monazite | en_US |
dc.subject | Rare earth elements | en_US |
dc.subject | Thermal plasma | en_US |
dc.title | High-temperature thermal plasma treatment of monazite followed by aqueous digestion | en_US |
dc.type | Article | en_US |
dc.contributor.researchID | 11858176 - Cilliers, Anthonie Christoffel | |