Toronto 2013 jpt presentation 1045 panel

1Jean-Paul TOGNET – TMS.2013 Toronto

Possible evolution for RE mining projects

according to Gartner Hype cycle



Metallurgy Advantage :Debating competitive elements of

tonnage, grade, mineralogy, …

4Jean-Paul TOGNET – TMS.2013 Toronto Downstream RE Separations and Finishings

Beneficiation

Heavy SandsMines

Ilmenite, Rutile,… Zircon,… Cassiterite,…

MONAZITE XENOTIME

Grinding +Beneficiation

Hard rocksMines

Fe conc Nb,Ta conc

Alkalinecracking

Crude REHydroxide

HCl, HNO3

dissolution

BASTNASITE

Acidbaking

Crude RESulfate

Waterdissolution

NaOH H2SO4

Non RE + Rad* Purification of Mix RE solutions by Chemistry and/or SX

Grinding +Beneficiation

BASTNASITE

Roasting

Aciddissolution

HCl

L/Sseparation

Australia,India, SthA,…Brazil, USA,

MolycorpSichuan

BayanObo

TSP

Residu Ce4

conc RE3

Cl sol

Summarize of "classical " upstream RE processes

USA,China,

Residu

5

Metallurgy Advantage :Debating competitive elements of tonnage, grade, mineralogy, …

"Classical" RE processes are using high grade concentrates usually >50%REO

meaning RE bearer minerals are easily liberated and accessible.- Bastnasite, Monazite as Light RE sources- Xenotime for Heavy RE ones- Russian Loparite as RE,NbTa,Ti bearer is a special case for

LRE…!- Chinese Ionic ores since late 80’s are also an other one for

HRE…! First new industrial RE concentrate is Lynas Mt Weld project presently starting with an intermediate concentrate ~40%REO grade.

Futur potential RE sources now under development are generally conducting to some "RE concentrates" of which %REO grade is even more strongly depending of the mineralogy of the RE bearers…

Here after is a sketch for a rough comparison of that present evolution of RE resources…

Jean-Paul TOGNET – TMS.2013 Toronto

Gangue Gangue

Coarse pure RE mineralBN, MZ, XN,…

Mix RE mineralRE included into lattice

6

Simplified 2 types forRE mineralisation

BeneficiationEasy Hopeless



Back to summarize of RE IndustryRich , coarse, concentrated

RE Minerals

Poor , fine, disseminatedRE Minerals

Pure & easy liberatedPlacers, Veins,… deposits

M.Mixed & liberated

F.Carbonate : BNPhosphate : MZ, XN

Oxides : LP,…Silicates : ED ,… Phosphates : AP, CH,… F.Carbonates : PA,SY,…

Weathered, Adsorbed

Al.Phosphates : FL,..Ionic ores : Clays

REO

con

tent

Beneficiationrange

Hydro, PyroMetallurgy range

Cracking

Leaching

RESeparation

Finishingsfor

MarketsExo,

Rad

* Pu

ficati

on

Pure &MixedSalts,

Oxides,Metals

IX, SXin

Cl or NO3

solutions

BN Bastnasite, MZ monazite, XN xenotime, LP loparite, ED eudialyte, AP apatite, CH churchite, PA parisite, SY synchisite, FL florencite,…

Physical Conc.

Chemical Conc.


REO Grade / MineralogyWhere is the Optimum between physical beneficiation and chemical cracking ?!• Although the target is to recover the maximum of RE content, Mining

and Chemistry are two worlds that need to very well know and understand each other to reach this optimum…

• Mineral Liberation Analysis (MLA) is of crucial importance… while Metallurgical Behavior (Beneficiation and Cracking) are both tested for determination of a potential flowsheet, then future economical process.

Tonnage REO / REO DistributionEvolution of RE market to be estimated for Light/Heavy RE ores development.• RE are coming all together, but will not be paid at best market price…• Global " RE equilibrium " has also to be taken into account for

tonnage… particularly for large RE tonnage projects…

Upcoming new RE sources


TMR Advanced Rare-Earth projects Index

Good and usefull,then what about RE actual accessibility ?


REO Grade / MineralogyWhere is the Optimum between physical beneficiation and chemical cracking ?!• Although the target is to recover the maximum of RE content, Mining

and Chemistry are two worlds that need to very well know and understand each other to reach this optimum…

• Mineral Liberation Analysis (MLA) is of crucial importance… while Metallurgical Behavior (Beneficiation and Cracking) are both tested for determination of a potential flowsheet, then future economical process.

Tonnage REO / REO DistributionEvolution of RE market to be estimated for Light/Heavy RE ores development.• RE are coming all together, but will not be paid at best market price…• Global " RE equilibrium " has also to be taken into account for

tonnage…

Upcoming new RE sources

11

La Ce Pr Nd Sm Eu Gd Tb Dy Ho Y Er Tm Yb Lu

Mix.REProcesses

Equilibrium : the most important Rare Earth

RE multi-usagesdemand… … …

REAvailability

LightMedium

Heavy

Presently 5 Critical RE


12

Equilibrium research

Simplified RE breakdownShowing the "Big 5" of both average mineral families

Light Av

Heavy Av

Mix Av

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

18.8

11.6

17.4

2.4

37.4

9.4

Pr.Nd Eu Tb Dy Y La Ce Others

Global result for a potential Mix 80% Light + 20% Heavy distribution


13

Pr.Nd

10 Eu

10 Tb

10 Dy

Y

La

Ce

Others

0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000 70,000 80,000Light av Heavy av Demand 2014 IMCOA

Equilibrium research


Global result for a potential Mix 80% Light + 20% Heavy distribution

compared to forecasted demand


Thank you for your attention

Merci pour votre attention


Summary

• Since beginning of 2000 the number of RE projects has increased drastically in connection to the fact of a better knowledge of RE wide usages and the discovering that China was quite the only RE producer ! with a quota system which became more and more restrictive for many reasons….

• Numerous world wide old RE occurrences have been reevaluated by many companies that have taken into account the RE value content or now called basket price, sometimes without considering the accessibility of those RE elements…!

• Target of present presentation is to emphasize the fact that all different steps for getting RE finished products are all important and may be today the critical one is not the so called RE separations…. So, which one is corresponding to that “new RE frontier” ?

• In addition of present potential natural deposits, it appears that the RE content of previous tailings, industrial residues, scraps has to be considered for environmental and economical reasons… Their reprocessing follows the same steps of those of any new RE deposit development.


Some more slides !

Some of main RE minerals• Carbonates group

Bastnasite : RE Fluo.Carbonate RE.FCO3 Ca substitution : Parisite, Roentgenite, Synchisite

• Phosphates group Monazite, Xenotime : RE Phosphates RE.PO4

Ca,Si substitution : Cheralite,… Alteration/Hydratation : Rabdophanite, Churchite,… RE substitution : Apatite,…

Florencite : Complex Alumino-phosphates : Crandalite group

Mix-Oxides group Loparite : RE,NbTa,Ti.O3

Ca substitution : Perovskite, Colombite, Pyrochlore, Fergusonite,…

• Silicates group Eudialyte : Many substitutions NaCa,FeMnRE,ZrSiO4OH Allanite :

Jean-Paul TOGNET – TMS.2013 Toronto 17

Main RE minerals• Carbonates

– Anhydrous FCO3RE : Bastnasite, BayanObo, Mt Pass, MaoNiuPing, DongPao…

– Mix FCO3Ca.RE : Parisite,… Synchisite Hastings, Kutessai,…

• Phosphates – Anhydrous REPO4: Monazite, Xenotime Indian ocean belt beach sands , Florida, Brazil,…

– Hydrated : Rabdophane, Churchite…. Mt Weld,…

– Mix : Ca.RE Apatite,… Cheralite Si.Ca Kola, Phalaborwa, Jacupiranga, Nolans,…

– Lateritic : Crandalite,….. Florencite Al_ Mrima Hill, Mabounié, Araxa,…

• Oxides– Anhydrous : Loparite Ti,NbTa,RE, Kola,

– Lateritic : Pyrochlore Mrima Hill, …

• Silicates– Eudialyte SiZr.Na_RE, Dubbo, Kipawa, Illimaussaq, NorraKarr, …

– Allanite SiAlFe.Ca.RE Nolans,..

– Gadolinite SiBeFe.RE,.. Strange lake,…

– Clays : RE.adsorbed Ionic ores XunWu, LongNan, YenPhu, …

All of them "contains" more or less radioactive Th,U elementsto be considered !


Main Rare Earths Minerals• Minerals with major RE content :

– Carbonates : Bastnasite, Parisite,…– Phosphates : Monazite, Xenotime, Churchite,…– Niobates… : Loparite, Colombite, Fergusonite, Pyrochlore,…

• But RE are also beard by many others minerals as minor RE content, of which main ones for RE are :– Phosphates : Apatites igneous & alterated as complex ores, – Silicates : Eudialyte, Allanite, Britholite, … – China clays, mainly as ultimate step of weather alteration.

• In both case they are occurrences for specific Light and Heavy concentrations conducting to corresponding 2 relative families named Cerium rich and Yttrium rich. –



ROSKILL Rare Earth

21

Non RE + Rad* Purification of Mix RE solutions by Chem and/or SX

Hydro, pyro metallurgy range

Main different RE MineralsPhysical Concentrate

High REO contentCrude ore

Low REO contentMix Physical ConcentrateIntermediate REO content

Purified Mix RE solution (Cl, NO3, SO4) ready for individual separation

NaOHcracking

Crude REHydroxide

MZ, XNBN

HCl, HNO3

dissolution

BN,CH,SY

direct/alkalRoasting

HCldissolution

Ce conc. +RE3 Cl solution

H2SO4

Roasting

Waterdissolution

BN,MZED,CH,SY

Crude RESO4 solution

LP

Carbochlorination

Waterdissolution

Crude RECl solution

IO

Saltleaching

Selct.REprecip.

HCldissolution

AP

Acid HNO3

dissolution

Crude REPO4 solution

RE.NO3

Extraction

BN Bastnasite, MZ monazite, XN xenotime, LP loparite, ED eudialyte, AP apatite, CH churchite, PA parisite, SY synchisite, FL florencite,… Jean-Paul TOGNET – TMS.2013 Toronto

22

Based on Mineralogy :- Crude ore : Low REO- Physical conc. : High REO

- Roasted or notSulfuriccracking

Baking or in pulpAtmospheric or Pressure

Cake SlurryRE+M+Gangue Sulphates

DilutionPurification

Sulfuric acid H2SO4

RE Sulphate solutionLow REO conc.

RE recovery &concentration

Mix.RE Chloride/Nitrate solutionready for SX separation

Gangue residue

Complex silicates RE ores such as Eudialyte, Fergusonite,…

proposed metallurgical process…

Changing anion by :- Precipitations + Dissolutions- Solvent eXtraction ?!

Washing, Precipitation,L/S Filtration

Effluent treatment…


Technology

Toronto 2013 jpt presentation 1045 panel