A beneficiation study to recover xenotime minerals from rich‐iron‐silicate ores

The Yen Phu (YP) rare‐earth mine, located in Yen Bai, Vietnam, currently reserves 28,000 tons of total rare earth oxides (TREO) with a TREO grade of about 1.16%. A mineralogy study shows the dominance of iron‐oxide‐ and silicate‐bearing minerals in YP ore, whereas xenotime presents as the major rare‐earth metal (REM) bearing mineral. Chemical analyses also exhibit a relatively high proportion of heavy rare earth metals (HREMs) at 41.2%, which suggests the high economic value of YP ores. The factors influencing the flotation involving the pH, the depressant, and the collector dosage were first assessed. Then, a beneficiation flowsheet including grinding, wet magnetic separation, and flotation was recommended and practically conducted to enrich the TREO. The proposed process successfully promoted the TREO grade from 1.16% to 29.70% with a high recovery of 80.31% in the REM concentrates, while a tiny loss of TREO was exhibited in the tailing. The chemical analysis of REM concentrates also demonstrated the conservation of REM composition throughout the beneficiation. An efficient beneficiation process with real‐manufacturing conditions was developed to recover xenotime minerals from rich‐iron‐silicate ores exploited in the Yen Phu mine (Vietnam). Obtained rare‐earth metal (REM) concentrates show a high total rare‐earth oxide grade with good recovery.