Rare Element Resources Reports Additional Pilot Plant Results

Rare Element Resources (NYSE MKT:REE,TSX:RES) reported additional results from pilot plant testing for its patent pending rare earth separation technology. The company also reported results of subsequent bench-scale optimization test work.
As quoted in the press release:

• Pilot plant testing of a lanthanum recovery circuit that resulted in a 99%-pure lanthanum oxide product, samples of which were promptly supplied to an interested party for evaluation; and
• Optimization, at bench-scale, of the recovery process that not only increased cerium removal to 99% using one mixer/settler but also separated the remaining rare earths into light rare earth (LRE) and heavy rare earth (HRE) baskets using only two mixer/settlers.  The resulting LRE stream was 99.7% pure and consisted predominantly of lanthanum and didymium (neodymium and praseodymium). It is expected that using the LRE stream as feed for the lanthanum recovery module will produce both pure lanthanum and pure didymium products.

Each SX module used conventional extraction mixer/settlers and commercially available stripper reagents, extractants and diluents but did not require acid-stripping mixer/settlers or the use of strong acids to recover separated rare earths. The process generated no waste effluent and eliminated the need for neutralization, important accomplishments that are expected to improve the cost-effectiveness of the process. The SX pilot plant successfully recycled both the stripped organic liquor and raffinate without generating any waste products, making it environmentally sound.

Rare Element Resources CEO, Randall Scott, said:

The data generated by testing confirmed and expanded our success at utilizing our proprietary separation technology to increase the purity of our concentrate while recovering commercially valuable separated rare earth products that were then supplied to an interested potential offtake partner. In bench-scale test work, we effectively optimized the cerium removal to 99% and also separated out the remaining light rare earths to make the recovery of both pure lanthanum and pure didymium products possible.  While additional pilot testing is expected to optimize the process, METSIM® modeling, a steady-state and dynamic process simulator, indicates that 99% of the lanthanum could be recovered, thus reducing the mass of rare earth solutions going to advanced separation by more than 65%.

Click here for the full press release.