Understanding the possibility of extracting easily recoverable rare metals from niobium/rare earth ores of the Tomtor deposit

This paper looks at the possibility to extract easily recoverable forms (ERF) of rare earth elements from the Tomtor ores. The method developed for estimating the amount of easily recoverable REMs contained in clay and the so-called ionic ores does not solve the issue of their recovery from high-grade phosphate rare earth/niobium ores. Due to the presence of ERFs in the Tomtor ores and considering the design high cost of hydrometallurgical processing selective mining is shown to be a cost-effective solution. This technique implies separation of rare-earth ores with low concentrations of niobium and further recovery of easily recoverable REMs through in-situ heap leaching. This way the amount of conveyed ore will be reduced bringing down the cost of rare earth concentrate. At the first stage, it is necessary to identify rare earth ores with low and off-balance concentrations of niobium and determine their locations and amounts. The second stage involves small-scale testing (mapping) of identified ores and pilot laboratory studies using a method developed by the Leading Research Institute of Chemical Technology. If the laboratory studies prove to deliver positive results, tests are to be conducted with group laboratory samples (which are 1-2 t samples) with the purpose of developing a simpler process to produce rare earth concentrate.