Column leaching process of rare earth and aluminum from weathered crust elution-deposited rare earth ore with ammonium salts

In order to better understand the leaching process of rare earth （RE） and aluminum （Al） from the weathered crust elutiondepositedRE ore, the mass transfer of RE and Al in column leaching was investigated using the chromatographic plate theory. Theresults show that a higher initial ammonium concentration in a certain range can enhance the mass transfer process. pH of leachingagent in the range of 2 to 8 almost has no effect on the mass transfer efficiency of RE, but plays a positive role in the mass transferefficiency of Al under strong acidic condition （pH〈4）. There is an optimum flow rate that makes the highest mass transfer efficiency.The optimum leaching condition of RE is the leaching agent pH of 4？8, ammonium concentration of 0.4 mol/L and flow rate of0.5 mL/min. The mass transfer efficiencies of RE and Al both follow the order： （NH4）2SO4〈NH4Cl〈NH4NO3, implying thecomplexing ability of anion.

Extraction and Reaction Mechanism of Potassium from Associated Phosphorus and Potassium Ore

Potassium and phosphate were extracted at low temperature by acid hydrolysis process to decompose a new type of associated phosphorus and potassium ore. The main factors affecting the dissolution rate were investigated, such as grinding fineness, the amount of sulfuric acid and fluoride salt, reaction time and temperature, etc. Meanwhile, the effects of various factors on the formation of soluble potassium and phosphate were also discussed. The reaction products and residues were determined by X-ray diffraction（XRD）, scanning electron microscopic（SEM） analysis and other means. The results showed that the dissolution rates of potassium and phosphorus were 70wt% and 93.7wt%, respectively, under the conditions of a grain size of 95.64wt% lessthan 0.074 mm, 9.78 g·g^（-1） sulfuric acid, 0.5 g·g^（-1） ammonium fluoride, 160 ℃ and a reaction time of 2h. The thermodynamic and chemical reaction mechanism was revealed that the primary reaction could be completed spontaneously in a temperature range of 298-433 K. The increase of reaction temperature had an important influence on ion exchange reaction, which was more conducive to the spontaneous process. The research will open up a new way for efficient use of potassium ore resources.

Lithium extraction from hard rock lithium ores(spodumene,lepidolite,zinnwaldite,petalite):Technology,resources,environment and cost

Lithium production in China mainly depends on hard rock lithium ores,which has a defect in resources,environment,and economy compared with extracting lithium from brine.This paper focuses on the research progress of extracting lithium from spodumene,lepidolite,petalite,and zinnwaldite by acid,alkali,salt roasting,and chlorination methods,and analyzes the resource intensity,environmental impact,and production cost of industrial lithium extraction from spodumene and lepidolite.It is found that the sulfuric acid method has a high lithium recovery rate,but with a complicated process and high energy consumption;alkali and chlorination methods can directly react with lithium ores,reducing energy consumption,but need to optimize reaction conditions and safety of equipment and operation;the salt roasting method has large material flux and high energy consumption,so require adjustment of sulfate ratio to increase the lithium yield and reduce production cost.Compared with extracting lithium from brine,extracting lithium from ores,calcination,roasting,purity,and other processes consume more resources and energy;and its environmental impact mainly comes from the pollutants discharged by fossil energy,9.3-60.4 times that of lithium extracted from brine.The processing cost of lithium extraction from lepidolite by sulfate roasting method is higher than that from spodumene by sulfuric acid due to the consumption of high-value sulfate.However,the production costs of both are mainly affected by the price of lithium ores,which is less competitive than that of extracting lithium from brine.Thus,the process of extracting lithium from ores should develop appropriate technology,shorten the process flow,save resources and energy,and increase the recovery rate of related elements to reduce environmental impact and improve the added value of by-products and the economy of the process.

Application of Audio-Magnetotelluric Method for Exploration the Concealed Ore-Bodies in Yuele Lead-Zinc Ore Feild, Daguan County, NE Yunnan Province, China

The results of recent mineral exploration in the Yuele lead-zinc mining area of Daguan County, northeastern Yunnan province, showed that there are much early Paleozoic strata under thick late Paleozoic strata in northeastern Yunnan province, where developed some hidden salt structures (SSs), often with lead-zinc polymetallic mineralization varying degrees along the tension torsional fault (belts) or fracture (joint). The ore-bodies belong to the epigenetic hydrothermal filling vein-type deposit, and the prospecting potential is great. In this area, the superficial mineralization information displayed clear, but the deep mineralization is unknown, so the exploration work is restricted. The audio-megnetotelluric (AMT) surveying is an advantageous method to characterize the size, resistivity and skin depth of the polarizable mineral deposit concealed beneath thick overburden. This paper presents the surveying results using AMT method to evaluate the concealed lead-zinc mineralization in Yuele lead-zinc ore field, Daguancounty, NE Yunnan province, China. After comparing the interpretation result of AMT surveying data with the geological data and the drilling data, it is found that there is some distinct difference in resistivity and polarizable between ore-bodies hosted strata, upper strata and gypsum strata. The results show that AMT method is helpful to identify lead-zinc mineralization under this geological condition.

Leaching hydrodynamics of weathered elution-deposited rare earth ore with ammonium salts solution

In order to reveal the permeability rule of leaching agent solution and the effects of anions in the leaching process of weathered crust elution-deposited rare earth（RE） ores, the effects of ammonium concentration, temperature, particle size and porosity on the permeability were discussed in detail with（NH4）2SO4, NH4Cl and NH4NO3 as the leaching agent. It was found that the permeation velocity of ammonium salts increased linearly with the increase of hydraulic gradient. The seepage of ammonium salts solution in the RE ores followed Darcy’s law and displayed a laminar flow. The properties of the leaching agent solution and RE ores were the main factors that affect the permeability of RE ores. With the decrease of ammonium concentration and increase of temperature, the viscosity of solution decreased and the permeability coefficients of RE ores increased. And the effects of temperature on the viscosity and permeability were larger than ammonium concentration. The permeability of RE ores became worse with the decrease of particle size and porosity, and the particle size played a more important role compared with porosity. The permeability coefficient of RE ores increased and the viscosity of ammonium salts solution decreased in the order of（NH4）2SO4, NH4Cl and NH4NO3, implying that the penetrating power of anions increased in the order of SO42-, Cl- and NO3-. The results may play a vital role in improving the permeability of weathered crust elution-deposited RE ores.

Ground movements modeling applying adjusted influence function

Mathematical modeling of surface deformations caused by underground mining operation is commonly carried out with use of empirical,numerical or stochastic models.One of the most frequently applied model for prediction of ground deformation in many countries is Knothe model.The model developed by Knothe belongs to the stochastic methods and is based on the influence function.In China a prediction method named Probability Integration Method(PIF)was established by Liu Baochen and Liao Guohua based on the stochastic medium theory.Modified version of that model allows to predict ground movements caused by mining operation in extremely complex technical and geological conditions.That model is commonly applied for coal,metal ore and salt deposits.The article presents several modifications of the mathematical model used in China and Poland.This model is very widespread in the world,therefore the generalizations proposed in the article can be implemented for the purposes of prediction surface deformations for various types of deposits in many countries.The presented generalizations were then tested on specific examples of coal mining,copper ore mining and rock salt deposit.The obtained results indicate high efficiency of methods based on the influence function in complex geological and mining conditions.