ENHANCING RARE EARTH ELEMENTS STABILITY IN ION ADSORPTION CLAYS DURING ION-EXCHANGE LEACHING WITH SALT SOLUTIONS: A THERMODYNAMIC APPROACH THROUGH POURBAIX DIAGRAMS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11113/jurnalteknologi.v88.23169Keywords:
Rare earth elements (REEs); ion adsorption clays; magnesium sulfate; Pourbaix diagram; thermodynamic stabilityAbstract
Rare Earth Elements (REEs) are typically extracted from ion adsorption clays using the ion-exchange leaching method, which involves a salt solution as the leaching solution. To maximize REE leaching efficiencies, it is crucial to maintain the thermodynamic stability of REEs in the salt solution during the extraction process. Therefore, a thermodynamic approach through the Pourbaix diagram was conducted by using HSC Chemistry 10.0 software. In this study, the three most significant REE concentrations in ion adsorption clay- lanthanum (La), neodymium (Nd), and yttrium (Y)- were tested using different sulfate solutions (ammonium sulfate, magnesium sulfate, and aluminum sulfate) across concentrations ranging from 0.05 to 0.6 M and temperatures from 25 to 80 °C. The Pourbaix diagrams analysis demonstrated that magnesium sulfate solution was the most effective leaching solution, providing the maximum thermodynamic stability for La, Nd, and Y within a pH range of 0 to 5.8, across all tested concentrations, without any chemical formation occurring within that region. Additionally, the stability of La, Nd, and Y was found to decrease as the leaching temperature increased. Since 25°C proved to be the optimal temperature in this study, it suggests that ion-exchange leaching can be efficiently performed at ambient temperature, eliminating the need for external heating during the extraction process. In conclusion, using magnesium sulfate as a leaching solution at ambient leaching temperature enhances the thermodynamic stability of REEs in ion adsorption clay during ion-exchange leaching, leading to improved REE extraction and reduced impurity formation.
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