HCl leaching behaviour of a bastnasite ore in terms of thorium and rare earth elements

Abstract

Today, nuclear energy is considered as one of the most important energy sources. Thorium (Th) is also very important for nuclear energy because it can exist in nature spontaneously just as uranium (U) without depending on presence of another radioactive element. As plutonium and other trans-uranium elements are produced in lesser amounts compared to U in Th fuel cycle, Th is considered as the cleanest nuclear plant fuel. Bastnasite is one of the minerals which Th can be economically obtained. Bastnasite (Ce, La)FCO3, which is a rare earth fluorocarbonate, contains approximately 0.2–0.3% Th and 75% rare earth oxides. Within the scope of this study, dissolution behaviour of Th and rare earth element (REE) contents present in the bastnasite ores which is obtained from Eskisehir region of Turkey, with HCl leaching method was examined. In this context, the effects of different leaching parameters such as leaching time, HCl concentration and pulp temperature on Th and REE (Ce, Nd, La) dissolution efficiency and the best results have been obtained in the conditions of 5.48 M of HCl dosage, 220 min. of leach time and 70°C pulp temperature. In these optimum conditions, Th, Ce, Nd and La were obtained with dissolution efficiencies of 80.12, 77.12, 70.12 and 71.13%, respectively.