"SE-FLECX"-Project: Development of new extractants for Rare Earths

The extraction of rare earth elements (REEs) from ores with simple mineralogy has been largely optimized over the past years. However, because of the dwindling of ore, which are easy to concentrate, it is necessary to develop new processes which are more effective and transferable to the ores with complex mineralogy. The SE-FLECX-Project, which is coordinated at the Helmholtz Institute Freiberg in Germany, is dealing with the extraction process. To determine an optimal leaching method and to provide leach solutions for the extraction experiments two ores are processed in different ways. The main focus is to develop new extractants based on calix[4]arene molecules for separation of radioactive elements and single REEs, for example uranium.