Brazilian Rare Earths (BRE) has validated a low-temperature metallurgical process for its Monte Alto project, achieving exceptional recovery rates that could significantly reduce capital and operating costs.
In a major technical de-risking milestone, the company reported extraction rates of 97 per cent for total rare earth oxides (TREO), neodymium-praseodymium (NdPr) and uranium. Crucially, these results were achieved using a low-temperature acid-cure process at just 150°C, eliminating the need for energy-intensive rotary kilns that typically operate above 250°C.
“Our metallurgy program validated a low-temperature, acid-cure process which delivers industry-leading recoveries for both rare earth and uranium products,” BRE managing director and chief executive officer Bernardo da Veiga said.
“Importantly, the results support the potential for leading total system yields – from mineral to product – a key driver for efficiency and cost performance.”
Testing conducted at Brazil’s CDTN federal research institute, using a 15kg blended composite, confirmed that the simplified flowsheet can utilise standard paddle mixers. This shift not only lowers energy intensity but also reduces engineering complexity for the proposed processing hub at the Camaçari Petrochemical Complex.
Beyond the headline grades, the program delivered strong recoveries for high-value heavy rare earths, including 83 per cent for dysprosium and 87 per cent for terbium. When combined with BRE’s previously validated ore sorting yields of more than 95 per cent, the company estimates a total “mineral-to-product” recovery of approximately 91 per cent for TREO and 89 per cent for uranium.
“This acid-cure process eliminates the need for energy-intensive thermal cracking and supports the engineering simplicity required for scalable deployment at our centralised Camaçari rare earth processing hub,” da Veiga said.
The results support BRE’s ‘hub-and-spoke’ strategy, allowing the integration of multiple high-grade feedstocks into a centralised, scalable production platform.
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