Improved process for the separation of rare-earth metals

摘要

The invention relates to an improved process for the separation of rare-earth metals by selective absorption of the rare-earth metals on an ion exchanger and fractional elution of the respective metals with an aqueous solution of a chelating agent. According to the invention, ion exchanging fibres having groups for exchange of strong cations and groups for exchange of weak cations are used as the ion exchanger and elution is carried out at an hourly spatial rate of 5.0 or more. Application: separation and recovery of high-purity rare-earth metals at a throughput of 5 times or more that of the standard processes by ion exchange resin.