This document discusses rare earth (RE) mining projects and processes. It begins by outlining the evolution of RE projects according to research by Gartner and the competitive elements to consider for projects like tonnage, grade, and mineralogy. It then provides an overview of classical upstream RE processes that use high-grade concentrates above 50% rare earth oxide (REO). Various RE-bearing minerals are discussed, as well as the initial steps of beneficiation, concentration, and cracking or leaching. The document emphasizes that mining and chemistry must be well-integrated to optimize RE recovery. It also notes the importance of considering future RE market demand and the distribution of light and heavy REs from potential projects.

1. 1Jean-Paul TOGNET – TMS.2013 Toronto

2. Possible evolution for RE mining projects
according to Gartner Hype cycle
2Jean-Paul TOGNET – TMS.2013 Toronto

3. Jean-Paul TOGNET – TMS.2013 Toronto 3
Metallurgy Advantage :
Debating competitive elements of
tonnage, grade, mineralogy, …

4. Jean-Paul TOGNET – TMS.2013 Toronto Downstream RE Separations and Finishings 4
Beneficiation
Heavy Sands
Mines
Ilmenite, Rutile,…
Zircon,… Cassiterite,…
MONAZITE XENOTIME
Grinding +
Beneficiation
Hard rocks
Mines
Fe conc
Nb,Ta conc
Alkaline
cracking
Crude RE
Hydroxide
HCl, HNO3
dissolution
BASTNASITE
Acid
baking
Crude RE
Sulfate
Water
dissolution
NaOH H2SO4
Non RE + Rad* Purification of Mix RE solutions by Chemistry and/or SX
Grinding +
Beneficiation
BASTNASITE
Roasting
Acid
dissolution
HCl
L/S
separation
Australia,
India, SthA,…
Brazil, USA,
Molycorp
Sichuan
BayanObo
TSP
Residu Ce4
conc RE3
Cl sol
Summarize of "classical " upstream RE processes
USA,
China,
Residu

5. 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

6. Gangue Gangue
Coarse pure RE mineral
BN, MZ, XN,…
Mix RE mineral
RE included into lattice
6
Simplified 2 types for
RE mineralisation
Beneficiation
Easy Hopeless
Jean-Paul TOGNET – TMS.2013 Toronto

7. Jean-Paul TOGNET – TMS.2013 Toronto 7
Back to summarize of RE Industry
Rich , coarse, concentrated
RE Minerals
Poor , fine, disseminated
RE Minerals
Pure & easy liberated
Placers, Veins,… deposits
M.Mixed & liberated
F.Carbonate : BN
Phosphate : MZ, XN
Oxides : LP,…
Silicates : ED ,…
Phosphates : AP, CH,…
F.Carbonates : PA,SY,…
Weathered, Adsorbed
Al.Phosphates : FL,..
Ionic ores : Clays
REOcontent
Beneficiation
range
Hydro, Pyro
Metallurgy range
Cracking
Leaching
RE
Separation
Finishings
for
Markets
Exo,Rad*Pufication
Pure &
Mixed
Salts,
Oxides,
Metals
IX, SX
in
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.

8. Jean-Paul TOGNET – TMS.2013 Toronto 8
 REO Grade / Mineralogy
Where 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 Distribution
Evolution 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

9. Jean-Paul TOGNET – TMS.2013 Toronto 9
TMR Advanced Rare-Earth projects Index
Good and usefull,
then what about RE
actual accessibility ?

10. Jean-Paul TOGNET – TMS.2013 Toronto 10
 REO Grade / Mineralogy
Where 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 Distribution
Evolution 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.RE
Processes
Equilibrium : the most important Rare Earth
RE multi-usages
demand
… … …
RE
Availability
Light
Medium
Heavy
Presently 5 Critical RE
Jean-Paul TOGNET – TMS.2013 Toronto 11

12. Equilibrium research
Simplified RE breakdown
Showing the "Big 5" of both average mineral families
18.8
11.6
17.4
2.4
37.4
9.4
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Light Av
Heavy Av
Mix Av
Pr.Nd Eu Tb Dy Y La Ce Others
Global result for a potential Mix 80% Light + 20% Heavy distribution
Jean-Paul TOGNET – TMS.2013 Toronto 12

13. 0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000 70,000 80,000
Pr.Nd
10 Tb
Y
Ce
Light av Heavy av Demand 2014 IMCOA
Equilibrium research
Jean-Paul TOGNET – TMS.2013 Toronto 13
Global result for a potential Mix
80% Light + 20% Heavy distribution
compared to forecasted demand

14. Jean-Paul TOGNET – TMS.2013 Toronto 14
Thank you for your attention
Merci pour votre attention

15. Jean-Paul TOGNET – TMS.2013 Toronto 15
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.

16. Jean-Paul TOGNET – TMS.2013 Toronto 16
Some more slides !

17. 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

18. 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 : LopariteTi,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 elements
to be considered !
18
Jean-Paul TOGNET – TMS.2013
Toronto

19. 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.
–
19
Jean-Paul TOGNET – TMS.2013
Toronto

20. Jean-Paul TOGNET – TMS.2013 Toronto 20
ROSKILL Rare Earth

21. Non RE + Rad* Purification of Mix RE solutions by Chem and/or SX
Hydro, pyro metallurgy range
Main different RE Minerals
Physical Concentrate
High REO content
Crude ore
Low REO content
Mix Physical Concentrate
Intermediate REO content
Purified Mix RE solution (Cl, NO3, SO4) ready for individual separation
NaOH
cracking
Crude RE
Hydroxide
MZ, XN
BN
HCl, HNO3
dissolution
BN,
CH,SY
direct/alkal
Roasting
HCl
dissolution
Ce conc. +
RE3 Cl solution
H2SO4
Roasting
Water
dissolution
BN,MZ
ED,CH,SY
Crude RE
SO4 solution
LP
Carbo
chlorination
Water
dissolution
Crude RE
Cl solution
IO
Salt
leaching
Selct.RE
precip.
HCl
dissolution
AP
Acid HNO3
dissolution
Crude RE
PO4 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 21

22. Based on Mineralogy :
- Crude ore : Low REO
- Physical conc. : High REO
- Roasted or not
Sulfuric
cracking
Baking or in pulp
Atmospheric or Pressure
Cake Slurry
RE+M+Gangue Sulphates
Dilution
Purification
Sulfuric acid H2SO4
RE Sulphate solution
Low REO conc.
RE recovery &
concentration
Mix.RE Chloride/Nitrate solution
ready 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…
Jean-Paul TOGNET – TMS.2013 Toronto 22