Abstract
A technological sample (50 kg) from Wadi Khamal Nelsonite ore was subjected to magnetic and flotation concentration techniques. Excellent recovery percentages of 72.95% and 71.22% were achieved by the dry/wet magnetic and flotation concentration techniques, respectively. The weight of the apatite concentrate reached a reasonable percentage of approximately 23.5% with an overall 40.23% P2O5 total content. Analytical data of the apatite concentrate after digestion in concentrated sulfuric acid revealed that the total content of the rare earth elements (REE) constitutes about 0.2% of the total apatite content. The REE content (0.2%) was partitioned between phosphoric acid liquor (65%) and gypsum precipitate (36%). The extraction of the REEs from the phosphoric acid liquor using oxalic acid and sodium carbonate-bicarbonate mixture (1:10 w/w) yielded the RE oxide cake which constitute about 1.2% (w/w). The produced rare earth oxide cake contains traces of various metal oxides, e.g., SrO, Na2O, etc. in addition to rare earth oxides. Attempts to determine quantitatively the constituents of the cake will be considered in future work.