Optimisation of a rare earth extraction method

Our present work deals with the optimization of a solid-liquid extraction method of rare earths (cerium, lanthanum, neodymium and yttrium) present in Tunisian phosphogypsum by mechanical agitation, in which we studied the effect of parameters (extraction solvent, contact time, extraction temperature, mass-volume ratio (between phosphogypsum and solvent) and agitation speed) related to the extraction of these four metals. At the end of this study, a new method for the extraction and recovery of these four rare earths was proposed for use in industry.