Efficient separation and comprehensive recovery of rare earth, bismuth and iron by one-step extraction and two-step stripping

A route was proposed to separate bismuth, iron, and rare earth elements from a solution containing nickel and magnesium through one-step extraction and two-step stripping. Firstly, saponified di-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (D2EHPA) was used as the extractant to separate target elements. RE(III), Bi(III), and Fe(III) could be separated from Ni(II) and Mg(II), with extraction efficiencies of more than 99 %. Secondly, RE(III), Bi(III), and Fe(III) were stripped selectively by nitric acid and oxalic acid, respectively. Subsequently, the iron present in the oxalic acid stripping solution was treated under UV irradiation for 15 min to recover oxalic acid and obtain the ferrous oxalate product. The stripping efficiencies of RE(III), Bi(III), and Fe(III) were up to 100 % for four-stage countercurrent stripping, and the recovery rates of RE(III) and Bi(III) were 97.3 % and 99.2 %. The purities of nitrate rare earth enrichment solution, bismuth oxalate and ferrous oxalate were 99.7 %, 98.4 % and 99.5 %, respectively. In addition, the extraction dynamic demonstrated that the double salt precipitation was not observed during the extraction when the extraction time exceeded 7 min and the extraction mechanism was analyzed using the slope method. This process shortens steps, and is more efficient to separate RE(III), Bi(III), and Fe(III) from the mixed solution containing Ni(II) and Mg(II), which has a prospective industrial application.