Canadian rare earths refiner Ucore demonstrates NdPr recovery from different feedstocks
Canadian rare earths refiner Ucore Rare Metals has produced a high-purity (99.5%) neodymium-praseodymium (NdPr) sample from two different feedstocks at its commercialisation and demonstration facility, in Kingston, Ontario, for ongoing and planned customer qualifications.
Ucore has demonstrated the technical ability to create a pure material from two feedstock separate sources – ionic clay and bastnaesite – which have widely varying rare earth element compositions.
The company used about two tonnes of Vietnamese mixed rare earth oxide derived from ionic clay source material and about five tonnes of mixed rare earth carbonate derived from North American bastnaesite source material.
Ucore is proving the versatility of its RapidSX technology platform in the simulated commercial environment of its Kingston facility. The company plans to produce NdPr alongside samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium and eventually yttrium within the developing Louisiana Strategic Metals Complex (SMC).
Ucore’s RapidSX technology chemistry is the same as that of conventional solvent extraction, however, it typically yields recovery rates and target product purities equal to, or better than, conventional solvent extraction while having faster processing throughput and a smaller equipment footprint for the same processing capacity.
“Ucore is executing a very deliberate plan for the development of its first RapidSX production ‘Machine A’ at the Louisiana SMC. The work done at the demonstration facility directly supports and validates the SMC engineering programme while simultaneously demonstrating the effectiveness of the technology platform.
“Our work in Kingston will continue to serve as a co-commissioning, technology development and training centre to support and derisk our commercial endeavours,” says Ucore COO and VP Mike Schrider.