Calculation of Shear Layer Thickness of Ionic Rare Earth Particles in Mixture Electrolytes during In-Situ Leaching Process

Abstract

During in-situ mining and leaching of ionic rare earth ore, a chemical replacement reaction occurs between the leaching agent and rare earth ore. The thickness of the shear layer on the surface of colloidal particles is an important physical parameter. Based on the Gouy–Chapman double-layer theory and Poisson–Boltzmann equation, the relational expression for the thickness of the shear layer in the electric double layer on the particle surface under the condition of 2:2 + 3:2 mixture electrolytes (MgSO4 + RE2(SO4)3) is derived. On this basis, an indoor column leaching experiment of MgSO4 solution is conducted, and the surface Zeta potential of rare earth ore particles is measured using a Zetaprobe potential analyzer. The surface potential and the thickness of the shear layer in the leaching process with different concentrations solutions (2.5%, 3.0%, and 3.5%) are calculated. The effects of a MgSO4 solution concentration and particle surface potential on the thickness of the shear layer in the electric double layer are analyzed. It provides a theoretical basis for the study of the internal seepage of the ore body under the condition of the coexistence of multiple ions in the leaching process.

Transport Model of Rare Earth Elements in Weathering Crusts during Electrokinetic Mining

“…Various methods have been proposed to sustainably recover REEs from weathering crusts, for example, replacing ammonium salt with magnesium salt, microorganisms, and microbial metabolisms [16][17][18][19][20]. A new REE mining technique, electrokinetic mining (EKM), was developed in our previous study [21][22][23].…”