METHOD OF SEPARATING RARE-EARTH METALS OF YTTRIUM AND YTTERBIUM FROM IRON (3+) IMPURITIES Russian patent published in 2019 - IPC C22B59/00 C22B3/38 

FIELD: metallurgy.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to hydrometallurgy of rare and rare-earth metals, specifically to methods of purifying acid organophosphorus extractants from iron (3+) impurities. Reagent used is aqueous solution of oxalic acid with concentration of 0.25 to 1 M in ratio of volume of extract, saturated with iron, yttrium and ytterbium, and aqueous solution of 1-2:4. Invention can be used for obtaining extracts of rare-earth metals (REM) of yttrium and ytterbium with low content of iron during processing of extraction phosphoric acid (EPC) obtained by dihydrate method during processing of apatite concentrate with sulfuric acid, and can be used in mining and processing industry enterprises.

EFFECT: technical result is 99 % extraction of iron (III) from extract based on di-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid with loss of less than 3 % of yttrium and ytterbium.

1 cl, 6 dwg, 2 ex