Abstract :
NORAZIHAN Zulkifli1,a, NOOR FAZLIANI Shoparwe1,b,*, ABDUL HAFIDZ Yusof1,c, AHMAD ZUHAIRI Abdullah2,d and MOHAMMAD NORAZMI Ahmad3,e
1Gold Rare Earth and Material Technopreneurship Centre (GREAT), Faculty of Bioengineering and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, 17600 Jeli Kelantan, Malaysia
2School of Chemical Engineering, Engineering Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia.
3Chemistry Faculty, Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia, 25200 Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia.
anorazihan@yahoo.com, bfazliani.s@umk.edu.my, chafidz.y@umk.edu.my, dchzuhairi@usm.my, emnorazmi@iium.edu.my
Abstract. The Lynas Advanced Materials Plant (LAMP) in Kuantan, Malaysia, exemplifies sustainable practices in rare earth element (REE) separation processes through its efficient solvent extraction techniques using 2-ethylhexyl phosphonic acid mono-2-ethylhexyl ester (HEH/EHP or P507) and di-2ethylhexyl-phosporic acid (D2EHPA or P204) to separate REEs from monazite ore sourced from Mt. Weld, Australia. LAMP achieves a remarkable 99% yield for light REE separation such as lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, and neodymium. It faces challenges separating heavy REEs due to the low content in its concentrate to be cost-effective. This limitation underscores the need for improved solvents or alternative methods like ion exchange to enhance heavy REE recovery, particularly yttrium, gadolinium, terbium, and dysprosium, which is of interest to Malaysia to separate its non-radioactive heavy REE from ion-adsorbed clay. Insights from LAMP's processes offer valuable lessons in developing robust REE separation strategies that align with global demand, green technology, and environmental and social impact.
Keywords: REE; solvent extraction; Lynas; ion-adsorbed clay |
