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Studies On The Enrichment Feasibility Of Rare Earth-Bearing Minerals In Mine Tailings, Jose L. Corchado-Albelo, Lana Z. Alagha Mar 2023

Studies On The Enrichment Feasibility Of Rare Earth-Bearing Minerals In Mine Tailings, Jose L. Corchado-Albelo, Lana Z. Alagha

Mining Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This Study Aimed to Investigate the Potential of Enrichment of Rare-Earth-Bearing Minerals in Historic Mine Tailing using the Froth Flotation Process. Characterization Studies Indicated that Tailings Contained 11,000 Ppm of Rare Earth Elements (REEs). the Major Mineral in the Tailings Was Apatite at ~84%, Which Was Associated with Iron Oxides (~16%). TESCAN's Integrated Mineral Analysis (TIMA) Showed that Monazite Was the Main REE Mineral, and 69% of Monazite Was Locked in Apatite Grains. Characterization Studies Suggested that the Separation of REEs-Bearing Apatite from Iron Oxides is Possible using Froth Flotation, Wherein Apatite Was Floated and Iron Oxides Were Depressed. Zeta …


An Acid Baking Approach To Enhance Rare Earth Element Recovery From Bituminous Coal Sources, Ahmad Nawab Jan 2023

An Acid Baking Approach To Enhance Rare Earth Element Recovery From Bituminous Coal Sources, Ahmad Nawab

Theses and Dissertations--Mining Engineering

Rare earth elements (REE) are a group of 17 elements typically classified as light and heavy rare earth elements, which play a crucial role in developing the latest technologies for energy, defense, and medical sectors. Even though REEs have been found in more than 200 minerals, only bastnaesite, monazite and xenotime are commercially exploited for REE extraction. However, the recent exponential increase in REE demand has spurred countries such as the United States into research for the extraction of REEs from secondary sources such as coal, acid mine drainage, and coal ash. Several coal sources (e.g., Fire Clay seam coal) …


An Acid Baking Approach To Enhance Heavy Rare Earth Recovery From Bituminous Coal-Based Sources, Ahmad Nawab, Xinbo Yang, Rick Q. Honaker Jun 2022

An Acid Baking Approach To Enhance Heavy Rare Earth Recovery From Bituminous Coal-Based Sources, Ahmad Nawab, Xinbo Yang, Rick Q. Honaker

Mining Engineering Faculty Publications

The recovery of rare earth elements (REEs) from secondary resources, particularly coal-based materials, has recently received attention due to supply and demand imbalance. Research reported to date indicates that a high REE recovery can be realized when treating bituminous coal sources using strong acid solutions of approximately100 g/L or higher. This study introduces an approach to enhance the total rare earth recovery (TREE), especially for heavy rare earth elements (HREEs), from these coal sources at significantly lower acid concentrations. Based on the presence of REE minerals like monazite and xenotime, a detailed investigation was undertaken to quantify three pre-leach treatment …


Calcite Depression In Bastnaesite-Calcite Flotation System Using Organic Acids, Emmy Muhoza Jan 2022

Calcite Depression In Bastnaesite-Calcite Flotation System Using Organic Acids, Emmy Muhoza

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Bastnaesite is the primary source of light REEs, namely cerium (Ce), lanthanum (La), praseodymium (Pr), neodymium (Nd), to name a few. Bastnaesite is typically concentrated using the froth flotation beneficiation method. Flotation of bastnaesite suffers from high reagent consumption due to the similar surface characteristics of bastnaesite and associated gangue minerals, including calcite. Additionally, complex stages of high-temperature conditioning are often required to suppress the detrimental impact of dissolved calcium ions on the flotation of bastnaesite. This research seeks to investigate the capabilities of organic acids in the bastnaesite-calcite flotation systems to selectively depress calcite minerals and effectively chelate calcium …


Application Of Eh-Ph Diagrams On Acid Leaching Systems For The Recovery Of Rees From Bastnaesite, Monazite And Xenotime, Peijia Lin, Xinbo Yang, Joshua M. Werner, Rick Q. Honaker Apr 2021

Application Of Eh-Ph Diagrams On Acid Leaching Systems For The Recovery Of Rees From Bastnaesite, Monazite And Xenotime, Peijia Lin, Xinbo Yang, Joshua M. Werner, Rick Q. Honaker

Mining Engineering Faculty Publications

Bastnaesite, monazite and xenotime are rare earth minerals (REMs) that are typical sources for rare earth elements (REEs). To advance the understanding of their leaching and precipitation behavior in different hydrometallurgical processes, Eh-pH diagrams were constructed and modified using the HSC 9.9 software. The aqueous stability of rare earth elements in H2O and acid leaching systems, i.e., the REE-Ligands-H2O systems, were depicted and studied based on the Eh-pH diagrams. This study considers the most relevant lixiviants, their resulting equilibrium states and the importance in the hydrometallurgical recovery of rare earth elements (REMs). A literature review was …


Oxidation Pretreatment For Enhanced Leachability Of Rare Earth Elements From Bituminous Coal Sources, Tushar Gupta Jan 2021

Oxidation Pretreatment For Enhanced Leachability Of Rare Earth Elements From Bituminous Coal Sources, Tushar Gupta

Theses and Dissertations--Mining Engineering

Rare earth elements (REEs) are critical components in advanced electronics, clean energy technologies, and national energy and economic security. The global supply situation of these strategically valuable elements remains critical as the market is largely monopolistic. Thus, to alleviate the dependence on global imports, investments are being made in the research and development of innovative and cost-effective technologies for the indigenous processing and recovery of REEs from alternate sources that are cheap and abundant. Numerous research findings have identified potential benefits and proven the technological feasibility of extracting and selectively concentrating REEs from coal byproducts such as preparation plant rejects …


Recovery Of Phosphorus From Florida Phosphatic Waste Clay, Amir Eskanlou Jan 2021

Recovery Of Phosphorus From Florida Phosphatic Waste Clay, Amir Eskanlou

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This MS thesis examines the recovery of phosphorus (P) from Florida waste clay (WC). A comprehensive literature review revealed that: (i)-The most important values being lost to WC are P and rare earth elements (REEs). For the recovery of these values from WC, two crucial attempts are the removal of extremely fine-sized clays, followed by the recovery of phosphate content, which can pave the path for the recovery of REEs; (ii)-Any scientific/ technological solution should, at the same time, be economically and environmentally attractive to the industry. As such, moving from mostly chemical separation processes to the primarily physical/ physicochemical …


Geochemistry, Petrology, And Palynology Of The Princess No. 3 Coal, Greenup County, Kentucky, Madison M. Hood, Cortland F. Eble, James C. Hower, Shifeng Dai Dec 2020

Geochemistry, Petrology, And Palynology Of The Princess No. 3 Coal, Greenup County, Kentucky, Madison M. Hood, Cortland F. Eble, James C. Hower, Shifeng Dai

Center for Applied Energy Research Faculty and Staff Publications

The high volatile C bituminous-rank, Bolsovian-age Princess No. 3 coal, a correlative of the heavily-mined Hazard No. 7 coal and the Peach Orchard and Coalburg Lower Split coals, was investigated three sites at a mine in Greenup County, Kentucky. The coal exhibits a “dulling upwards” trend, with decreasing vitrinite and a greater tendency towards dull clarain and bone lithotypes towards the top of the coal. The relatively vitrinite-rich basal lithotype is marked by a dominance of lycopod tree spores. The palynology transitions upwards to a middle parting co-dominated by tree fern and small lycopod spores and an upper bench dominated …


Rare Earth-Bearing Particles In Fly Ash Carbons: Examples From The Combustion Of Eastern Kentucky Coals, James C. Hower, John G. Groppo Jr. Sep 2020

Rare Earth-Bearing Particles In Fly Ash Carbons: Examples From The Combustion Of Eastern Kentucky Coals, James C. Hower, John G. Groppo Jr.

Center for Applied Energy Research Faculty and Staff Publications

Graphitic carbons from the combustion of bituminous coals and, perhaps, other coal ranks, tend to capture iron and a number of hazardous elements, including As, Hg, and Se. Rare earth elements in fly ashes occur in minerals, such as monazite, xenotime, and davidite. They also occur in sub-nm particles, probably in a mineral form, within the Al–Si glass on the investigated fly ashes. Just as graphitic carbons can capture Fe and hazardous elements, the carbons surrounding the fly ash glass and magnetic particles captures or encapsulates a broad suite of rare earth elements.


Leaching Kinetics Of Rare Earth Elements From Fire Clay Seam Coal, Xinbo Yang, Rick Q. Honaker May 2020

Leaching Kinetics Of Rare Earth Elements From Fire Clay Seam Coal, Xinbo Yang, Rick Q. Honaker

Mining Engineering Faculty Publications

Recovery of rare earth elements (REEs) from coal samples collected from the Fire Clay coal seam using diluted mineral acid solutions was investigated. The initial processing step was coal recovery using conventional froth flotation which concentrated the REEs in tailing material resulting in an upgrade to values around 700 ppm on a dry whole mass basis. Leaching experiments were performed on the flotation tailings material using a 1.2 M sulfuric acid solution adjusted to a temperature of 75 °C to study the extractability of REEs from coal material. The effect of particle size, leaching time, leaching temperature, and solid concentration …


Causes Of Anomaly Of Rare Earth Elements Of Seam 2 Of Yan’An Formation In The Northern Margin Of Ordos Basin And Its Geological Significance, Yang Yi, Lyu Dawei, Zhang Jianqiang, Wu Dun Apr 2020

Causes Of Anomaly Of Rare Earth Elements Of Seam 2 Of Yan’An Formation In The Northern Margin Of Ordos Basin And Its Geological Significance, Yang Yi, Lyu Dawei, Zhang Jianqiang, Wu Dun

Coal Geology & Exploration

The cause of rare earth elements(REE) anomalies in No.2 coal seam of the Yan’an Formation in the northern margin of the Ordos basin has been controversial. This paper takes Dahaize coal mine, Yulin area with well developed No.2 coal as an example to analyze REE, mineralogical characteristics of coal and partings, and to reveal the causes of anomaly of REE by Inductive Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry(ICP-MS) and Scanning Electron Microscopy(SEM). The results show that the total rare earth element(∑REE) concentration in the coal samples ranges from 3.71 to 46.21 μg/g. Light rare earths elements(LREE, La-Eu) are more abundant than heavy …


Separation Of Radionuclides From A Rare Earth-Containing Solution By Zeolite Adsorption, Deniz Talan, Qingqing Huang Jan 2020

Separation Of Radionuclides From A Rare Earth-Containing Solution By Zeolite Adsorption, Deniz Talan, Qingqing Huang

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The increasing industrial demand for rare earths requires new or alternative sources to be found. Within this context, there have been studies validating the technical feasibility of coal and coal byproducts as alternative sources for rare earth elements. Nonetheless, radioactive materials, such as thorium and uranium, are frequently seen in the rare earths’ mineralization, and causes environmental and health concerns. Consequently, there exists an urgent need to remove these radionuclides in order to produce high purity rare earths to diversify the supply chain, as well as maintain an environmentally-favorable extraction process for the surroundings. In this study, an experimental design …


Fundamental Studies On The Recovery Of Rare Earth Elements From Acid Mine Drainage, Xue Huang Jan 2020

Fundamental Studies On The Recovery Of Rare Earth Elements From Acid Mine Drainage, Xue Huang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The Rare Earth Elements (REEs) are a group of 17 chemically similar elements that are essential raw materials for modern society. Given their increasing importance in civil and defense applications, many national governments, including the US, have denoted the REEs as critical materials and emphasized the need to identify and develop both conventional and unconventional resources to meet the growing demand. To address this challenge, the US Department of Energy has recently spearheaded efforts to evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of recovering REEs from coal and coal byproducts, which have been shown to contain REEs at an elevated concentration …


Leaching Characteristics Of Rare Earth Elements From Bituminous Coal-Based Sources, Xinbo Yang Jan 2019

Leaching Characteristics Of Rare Earth Elements From Bituminous Coal-Based Sources, Xinbo Yang

Theses and Dissertations--Mining Engineering

The demand for rare earth elements (REEs) has increased over the last decade due to applications in high technology devices including those in the defense industry. The recovery of REEs from primary sources such as rare earth minerals are viable using physical separations followed by chemical processing. However, weak market values and environmental concerns have limited the viability of such operations. On the other hand, REE recovery from secondary sources such as apatite ore, bauxite waste, and waste recycling, provides an opportunity to take advantage of a resource that does not require mining costs as well as other associated costs …


Operation And Process Control Development For A Pilot-Scale Leaching And Solvent Extraction Circuit Recovering Rare Earth Elements From Coal-Based Sources, Douglas Kweku Addo Jan 2019

Operation And Process Control Development For A Pilot-Scale Leaching And Solvent Extraction Circuit Recovering Rare Earth Elements From Coal-Based Sources, Douglas Kweku Addo

Theses and Dissertations--Mining Engineering

The US Department of Energy in 2010 has identified several rare earth elements as critical materials to enable clean technologies. As part of ongoing research in REEs (rare earth elements) recovery from coal sources, the University of Kentucky has designed, developed and is demonstrating a ¼ ton/hour pilot-scale processing plant to produce high-grade REEs from coal sources. Due to the need to control critical variables (e.g. pH, tank level, etc.), process control is required. To ensure adequate process control, a study was conducted on leaching and solvent extraction control to evaluate the potential of achieving low-cost REE recovery in addition …


A New Hybrid Decision Support Tool For Evaluating The Sustainability Of Mining Projects, S. Kamenopoulos, Zacharias Agioutantis, K. Komnitsas Mar 2018

A New Hybrid Decision Support Tool For Evaluating The Sustainability Of Mining Projects, S. Kamenopoulos, Zacharias Agioutantis, K. Komnitsas

Mining Engineering Faculty Publications

The integration of sustainable development challenges and opportunities into the decision making process during the design and/or implementation of multi-disciplinary mining projects is generally not supported by decision support systems (DSS). A new hybrid decision support tool, which features an integrated assessment of sustainable development issues as they apply to mining projects, is hereby proposed. The proposed DSS framework, named “Acropolis DSS”, can be used to assist involved stakeholders in critical decisions, especially when addressing issues such as stakeholder participation, transparency, and trade-offs. The proposed DSS is based on a multi-criteria decision analysis combined with the multi-attribute utility theory.


Gravity And Magnetic Investigations Into Possible Economic Mineral Deposits Within The Northwest St. Francois Terrane, Southeastern Missouri, Brandon Todd Ives Jan 2015

Gravity And Magnetic Investigations Into Possible Economic Mineral Deposits Within The Northwest St. Francois Terrane, Southeastern Missouri, Brandon Todd Ives

MSU Graduate Theses

The exposed Precambrian St. Francois Mountains in southeast Missouri are a well-studied terrane of rhyolites, granites, and basaltic dikes, but much of the buried basement lithology west of the exposed region is still poorly delineated. The western St. Francois is host to large hydrothermal Pb-Zn and Fe-oxide ore deposits, some of which were located with previous geophysical investigations. The economic ore deposits specifically in the Pea Ridge Mine in Washington County contain known economic minerals and rare earth element deposits. In order to further investigate the Precambrian basement lithologies and the possible locations of additional economic ore deposits, a gravity …