METHOD FOR SEPARATION OF HOLMIUM (III) AND CERIUM (III) WITH AN ANIONIC SURFACTANT FROM AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF NITRATES THEREOF Russian patent published in 2020 - IPC C22B59/00 B03D1/00 C22B3/26 

FIELD: ore processing technologies.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to processing of ores and concentrates containing rare-earth elements (REE), and can be used in the technology of producing rare-earth elements from low-concentration or secondary material at the stage of separating the sum of lanthanides using an ion flotation technique. Holmium (III) and cerium (III) are separated by an anionic surfactant from an aqueous solution of nitrates thereof. Ion flotation is carried out to obtain a foam phase and an aqueous phase in form of a chamber residue. Anionic surfactant sodium dodecylsulphate is added to aqueous solution of holmium (III) and cerium (III) nitrates as a foaming agent at ratio of holmium (III) and cerium (III) concentrations to sodium dodecyl sulphate as 1:3. Obtained solution is mixed, pH of the solution is adjusted to a value of at least 7.9 and held for at least 20 minutes. Method comprises temperature control at temperature of 20 to 25°C, followed by ion flotation of obtained solution to provide extraction and separation of cations of holmium (III) and cerium (III) sodium dodecyl sulphate, which in solution is a collector.

EFFECT: method enables to achieve efficient separation of holmium (III) and cerium (III) cations from solutions of their salts.

1 cl, 1 dwg, 3 tbl