METHOD FOR EXTRACTING AND SEPARATING RARE EARTH ELEMENTS

摘要

Solvent extraction from an aqueous phase containing first and second rare earth elements is carried out by contacting an organic phase containing a diglycolamic acid as an extractant and a hydrocarbon or a low-polar alcohol as a solvent, with the aqueous phase below pH 3 for extracting the first rare earth element into the organic phase, back-extracting from the organic phase with an aqueous acid solution for recovering the first rare earth element, and recovering the second rare earth element which has not been extracted into the organic phase and has remained in the aqueous phase.