Zhou Liangyao, Zhang Fushun, Wang Jun, Zhao Zhihua, Sang Xiaoyun, Chang Hongtao
School of Metallurgic Future Technology, Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology, Baotou 041010, Inner Mongolia, China.
School of Rare Earth Industry, Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology, Baotou 041010, Inner Mongolia, China.
ACS Omega. 2025 Jun 5;10(23):23904-23925. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.5c00818. eCollection 2025 Jun 17.
Rare earth elements possess unique physicochemical properties and are extensively used in high-tech fields including electronics and aerospace. The decomposition process of rare earth concentrates is critically important. This paper reviews recent progress in research on alkaline decomposition processes for rare earth concentrates and elucidates the advantages of various alkaline systems. The single-alkaline-medium decomposition for rare earth concentrates addresses the shortcomings of traditional acid-based methods, particularly their tendency to emit harmful gases. The dual-alkaline-medium process facilitates the recovery and the high-value use of associated elements such as fluorine (F) and phosphorus (P). The acid-alkaline combined process integrates the benefits of both approaches, enabling rare earth extraction at lower temperatures, significantly reducing acid and alkali consumption, and diminishing environmental pollution. The integration of microwave heating and mechanochemical-assisted processes with alkaline media decomposition enhances the efficiency of rare earth elements and reduces the consumption of decomposition agents and energy. Results show that alkaline media decomposition technology will be a primary research direction for sustainable, low-energy, and high-efficiency rare earth metallurgy. Given current challenges in recovering valuable elements from alkaline wastewater, the further development of smelting and separation processes for rare earth ores in alkaline media is crucial.
稀土元素具有独特的物理化学性质，广泛应用于包括电子和航空航天在内的高科技领域。稀土精矿的分解过程至关重要。本文综述了稀土精矿碱性分解过程的研究进展，并阐明了各种碱性体系的优势。稀土精矿的单碱介质分解解决了传统酸法的缺点，特别是其排放有害气体的倾向。双碱介质工艺有利于氟（F）和磷（P）等伴生元素的回收和高值利用。酸碱联合工艺融合了两种方法的优点，能够在较低温度下进行稀土萃取，显著降低酸碱消耗，并减少环境污染。微波加热和机械化学辅助工艺与碱性介质分解的结合提高了稀土元素的效率，降低了分解剂消耗和能源消耗。结果表明，碱性介质分解技术将是可持续、低能耗和高效稀土冶金的主要研究方向。鉴于目前从碱性废水中回收有价元素面临的挑战，进一步发展碱性介质中稀土矿石的冶炼和分离工艺至关重要。
