Inner Mongolia's rare earth exports soared in the first four months this year, with 1,259.6 mt, 4.3 times higher than the same period last year, 20.6% of total domestic rare earth exports.

Domestic rare earth exports have been growing since the start of 2013. YTD rare earth export value through April by Inner Mongolia reached USD 14.562 million mt, up 25.8%, to account for 10.7% of total national volume. Exports in April were 459.3 mt, compared to zero the same period last year, up 49.4% MoM; the average export price was USD 11,000/mt, down 8.3% MoM. The average export price during January-April was USD 12,000/mt, down 75.5%.

The significant growth in Inner Mongolia's rare earth exports is attributable to the low export volume over the same period of 2012, with no export recorded during February-April, and with only 237.3 mt exports made in the first four months. Inner Mongolia exported 1,259.6 mt of rare earth from January through April 2013 by general trade, up 4.3 times. Rare earth exporters are foreign-invested enterprises, private enterprises and SOEs, with 479.4 mt exports made by foreign-invested enterprises, up 1.1 times. Exports made by private enterprises and SOEs were 476.3 mt and 303.9 mt, respectively, with the volume by the former up 48.6 times. About 80% exports were made to US, France and Japan.

Inner Mongolia's rare earth exports increased as China raised export quotas, but soft demand remains the major factor refraining export price. Given overcapacities in resources and production and as overseas capacity is released, the dependency degree of US and Japan on China's rare earth is decreasing.


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Peak Resources has achieved a significant milestone on the road to commercialising the wholly-owned Ngualla Rare Earth Project in Tanzania, following the production of two refined rare earth products.

Ngualla is on track to become the next major rare earth supplier with high grade mineralisation and a simple, proven metallurgical process supporting a low cost operation.

These products were produced at ANSTO Minerals (Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation), and importantly are in a saleable form and available for evaluation by target customers.

The rare earth products completed to date are:

- An ultra-high purity (99.9%)* mid and heavy rare earth oxide (M+HREO).
- A high purity (>99%) rare earth carbonate with a grade of 56% REO.

                  

The work includes the first of four separated high purity rare earth oxide products from the Solvent Extraction Pilot Plant now in operation at ANSTO.

Peak said that the SX Pilot Plant work is progressing well with three additional separated rare earth oxide samples to be produced over the coming months, including a high purity didymium oxide (a neodymium – praseodymium mix) sample which is expected in June, followed by cerium oxide and finally a lanthanum oxide.

Alastair Hunter, chairman for Peak, commented: “The successful production of these products of such high quality is an achievement very few other companies have made and we are hopeful they will exceed the expectations of any future off take customers.

"This work is well within the required specifications and demonstrates Peak’s commitment to drive the development of the Ngualla Project forward.”

Ngualla is a leading rare earth project with an estimated NPV of US$1.57 billion and pre-tax IRR of 53% for an initial 25 years production and an average grade of 4.35% REO.

Peak continues to fast track the development of Ngualla with the aim of becoming a low cost, long term producer of high purity rare earth oxide products in 2016.


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Following the successful verification of the acid leach recovery process at ANSTO which was announced earlier in the year, a high purity mixed rare earth carbonate has been produced.

The belowing picture is the high purity (99%) mixed rare earth carbonate (56% REO) produced from Ngualla feed mineralisation at ANSTO Minerals.

                 

The carbonate was precipitated directly from the rare earth chloride solution (Figure 1) used as the feed for the SX Pilot Plant which was produced from a bulk sample of Ngualla mineralisation.

Peak said that assay results of this carbonate have now been received and indicate a high purity (>99%) rare earth carbonate with a rare earth content of 56% REO and less than 1% impurity metals present. Most importantly, the radioactive elements, thorium and uranium, are extremely low, being below detection limits.

Yoshio Takahaski, a professor of environmental chemistry at Hiroshima University, said a research team-- which also includes Japan’s Aisin Cosmos R&D Co. Ltd.--has determined that dried salmon milt or sperm is a “low cost and environment-friendly” method to extract rare earth metals.

The announcement of the research team’s findings was made at the Japan Sustainable Mining, Investment and Technology Business Forum in Tokyo and reported by Kyodo News.

The research team, based in Aichi Prefecture, found a 2010 study which determined phosphate groups found on the surface of bacteria can absorb and separate rare earths from the ore 10 times more effectively than the current extraction and separation REE process with extraction resin. The team then decided to explore the possibility of using milt--rich in phosphoric acids, but usually thrown away—for rare earth element extraction.

The team performed an experiment in which salmon milt was dried, powdered and put into a beaker containing a rare earth metals solution. The milt absorbed the rare earth elements as well as bacteria does, particularly the scarce and very expensive elements thulium and lutetium.

Unlike bacteria, milt does not have to be cultivated and is easier to preserve in a powdered state.

The team also believes that by making more use of milt through different chemicals, it can extract various types of rare earths.


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