A continuous processing system for rare earth ore mother liquor

Abstract

This utility model discloses a continuous rare earth ore mother liquor treatment system, characterized by comprising a mother liquor tank, a purification platform, a purification regulating tank, a purification thickener, a sedimentation platform, a sedimentation regulating tank, and a product thickener connected in sequence. The heights of the mother liquor tank, the purification platform, and the sedimentation platform decrease sequentially, with the height of the purification regulating tank being lower than that of the purification platform; the height of the sedimentation regulating tank is also lower than that of the sedimentation platform. This utility model has advantages such as compact structure, low cost, and the ability to continuously produce rare earth ore.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of rare earth mining technology, and in particular to a continuous processing system for rare earth ore mother liquor. Background Technology

[0002] Rare earth elements exist primarily in the Earth's crust as minerals, occurring as ionic compounds within mineral crystal lattices. A current novel mining method for rare earth minerals is in-situ leaching, which involves injecting a high-concentration cation exchange solution (magnesium sulfate solution) into the mine without damaging surface vegetation or excavating topsoil and ore. This process leaches out rare earth ions. Under the combined pressure of the injected water and gravity, the rare earth ions flow to the bottom of the mine and are eventually collected.

[0003] Currently, ion-adsorption rare earth mines mainly utilize topographical features, directly excavating and constructing numerous stepped impurity removal and sedimentation tanks, as illustrated in the applicant's prior published invention patent CN120041656A. However, this system cannot achieve continuous production.

[0004] Existing patent document CN114606402B discloses a continuous treatment system and method for rare earth ore leaching mother liquor. This system employs automated control, enabling continuous impurity removal and precipitation with a high degree of automation and significantly increased throughput. However, when multiple impurity removal tanks are connected in series, each tank requires a pump to transport the mother liquor, increasing production costs.

[0005] The above background information is provided only to aid in understanding the concept and technical solution of this utility model. It does not necessarily belong to the prior art of this patent application. In the absence of clear evidence that the above information was disclosed on the filing date of this patent application, the above background information should not be used to evaluate the novelty and inventiveness of this application. Utility Model Content

[0006] The main purpose of this utility model is to propose a continuous rare earth ore mother liquor treatment system that is compact in structure, low in cost, and capable of continuous operation in the production of rare earth ores.

[0007] Therefore, this utility model proposes a continuous treatment system for rare earth ore mother liquor.

[0008] Preferably, the present invention may also have the following technical features:

[0009] A continuous treatment system for rare earth ore mother liquor, characterized in that it comprises a mother liquor tank, a purification platform, a purification regulating tank, a purification thickener, a sedimentation platform, a sedimentation regulating tank, and a product thickener connected in sequence, wherein the heights of the mother liquor tank, the purification platform, and the sedimentation platform decrease sequentially, the height of the purification regulating tank is lower than the height of the purification platform, and the height of the sedimentation regulating tank is lower than the height of the sedimentation platform.

[0010] Furthermore, the impurity removal platform is equipped with multiple impurity removal tanks, and each impurity removal tank uses the height difference to transport the mother liquor that has completed impurity removal to the impurity removal and conditioning tank.

[0011] Furthermore, the sedimentation platform is equipped with multiple sedimentation tanks, and the mother liquor from the sedimentation tanks that has completed sedimentation is continuously transported to the sedimentation conditioning tank by utilizing the height difference.

[0012] Furthermore, it also includes tailings filter presses, which are used to squeeze and remove sediment from the bottom of the thickener.

[0013] Furthermore, the filtrate from the tailings filter press is transported to a tailings filtrate collection tank, which is connected to the sedimentation platform.

[0014] Furthermore, it also includes a tailings spiral conveyor trough, the inlet of which is connected to the bottom of the impurity removal and thickening machine, and the bottom outlet of which is connected to the tailings filter press; the supernatant of the tailings spiral conveyor trough is discharged into the tailings filtrate collection tank.

[0015] Furthermore, it also includes a product filter press, which transports the bottom sediment from the product thickener to the product filter press for filtration.

[0016] Furthermore, it also includes a product filtrate collection tank. The outlet of the product filter press is connected to the product filtrate collection tank via a pipeline. The product filtrate collection tank is connected to the sedimentation and conditioning tank and the top water tank via a pipeline.

[0017] Furthermore, it also includes a product spiral conveyor trough, the inlet of which is connected to the bottom of the product thickener, the bottom outlet of which is connected to the product filter press, and the supernatant of the product spiral conveyor trough is discharged into the product filtrate collection tank.

[0018] Furthermore, it also includes a solution mixing tank and a top water tank. The supernatant from the product thickener is discharged to the top water tank, the solution mixing tank, and the reagent room. The precipitated supernatant is also discharged to the reagent room for preparing magnesium sulfate solution and sodium bicarbonate solution.

[0019] Furthermore, it also includes a radar level gauge, a controller, and an electrically controlled water valve switch. The pipeline connecting the sedimentation tank to the sedimentation regulating tank and the pipeline connecting the impurity removal tank to the impurity removal regulating tank are respectively equipped with the electrically controlled water valve switch. The radar level gauge is installed at the upper end of the sedimentation tank and the regulating tank, and the radar level gauge and the electrically controlled water valve switch are respectively connected to the controller for signal connection.

[0020] The advantages of this invention compared to existing technologies include: by adding a purification and conditioning tank and a sedimentation and conditioning tank as transfer tanks, the mother liquor from the transfer tanks is continuously pumped into the thickener, achieving continuous production. Utilizing the elevation difference created by the terrain to transfer the mother liquor reduces the use of pumps, lowers energy consumption, and saves production costs. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the impurity removal tank and the impurity removal and equalization tank of this utility model. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to specific embodiments and the accompanying drawings. It should be emphasized that the following description is merely exemplary and is not intended to limit the scope and application of the present invention.

[0024] Non-limiting and non-exclusive embodiments will be described with reference to the following figures, wherein the same reference numerals denote the same parts unless otherwise specifically stated.

[0025] like Figure 1 The illustrated continuous rare earth ore mother liquor treatment system includes a mother liquor tank 1, a purification platform 2, a purification and conditioning tank 3, a purification and thickening machine 4, a sedimentation platform 5, a sedimentation and conditioning tank 6, and a product thickening machine 7, connected in sequence. The heights of the mother liquor tank 1, purification platform 2, and sedimentation platform 3 decrease sequentially, utilizing the elevation difference to transfer the mother liquor, reducing pump usage, lowering energy consumption, and saving production costs. The purification and conditioning tank 3 is lower than the purification platform 2. The mother liquor with pH adjusted on the purification platform 2 is transported to the purification and conditioning tank 3 using the elevation difference between the two platforms, eliminating the need for a water pump. The mother liquor from the purification and conditioning tank 3 is then pumped to the purification and thickening machine 4. The sedimentation and conditioning tank 6 is lower than the sedimentation platform 5. The mother liquor with pH adjusted on the sedimentation platform 5 is transported to the sedimentation and conditioning tank 6 using the elevation difference between the two platforms, and the mother liquor from the sedimentation and conditioning tank 6 is then pumped to the product thickening machine 7.

[0026] In the above embodiments, by adding a purification and conditioning tank 3 and a sedimentation and conditioning tank 6 as transfer tanks, the mother liquor from the transfer tanks is continuously pumped into the thickener, achieving continuous production. For example, the purification platform 2 and the sedimentation platform 5 are respectively equipped with multiple purification tanks and multiple sedimentation tanks. Each purification tank uses a height difference to transport the mother liquor to the purification and conditioning tank 3. The order in which the mother liquor is injected into each purification tank is different, and the sedimentation time is also different. After the production system starts working, the purification and conditioning tank 3 is continuously replenished with mother liquor from the purification platform 2. At the same time, the purification and conditioning tank 3 also continuously delivers mother liquor to the purification and thickener 4. The sedimentation platform 5 continuously obtains the supernatant from the purification and thickener 4. The supernatant from the purification and thickener 4 sequentially fills each sedimentation tank to the required liquid level. The mother liquor from the sedimentation tanks that has completed sedimentation is continuously transported to the sedimentation and conditioning tank 6 using a height difference. The mother liquor from the sedimentation and conditioning tank 6 is then continuously transported to the product thickener 7 using a water pump.

[0027] In the above embodiment, the mother liquor leached from the mine is transported to the mother liquor tank 1 for storage. During the impurity removal and precipitation, sodium bicarbonate solution is added to the impurity removal tank and the precipitation tank to adjust the pH. For example, the pH of the mother liquor in the impurity removal tank is adjusted to 5.4 and then transported to the impurity removal adjustment tank 3. The pH of the mother liquor in the precipitation tank is adjusted to 6.7 and then transported to the precipitation adjustment tank 6. The precipitation tank, precipitation adjustment tank, impurity removal adjustment tank and impurity removal tank are stirred using aeration holes.

[0028] The system also includes a tailings filter press 16, which transports the bottom sediment of the thickener 4 to a tailings spiral conveyor 15 for stirring. The sediment from the spiral conveyor 15 is then transported to the tailings filter press 16 to filter out rare earth byproducts. Depending on the turbidity of the filtrate, it is discharged into either tailings filtrate collection tank 13 (No. 1) or tailings filtrate collection tank 14 (No. 2). The supernatant from the spiral conveyor 15 is transported to tailings filtrate collection tank 13 (No. 1), and then the solution from tailings filtrate collection tank 13 is transported to a sedimentation tank. Filtrate from the tailings filter press 16 exceeding the turbidity limit is input into tailings filtrate collection tank 14 (No. 2), and vice versa. The solution flow direction is: bottom of the thickener 4 – inlet of the tailings filter press – outlet – tailings spiral conveyor 15.

[0029] The bottom sediment of the product thickener 7 is conveyed through the product spiral conveyor trough 9 to the product filter press 8 to filter out the carbonate rare earth product. The turbidity of the product filtrate pressed out by the product filter press 8 is observed. Preferably, it is input into either product filtrate collection tank 101 or product filtrate collection tank 102 according to the turbidity limit. For example, if the turbidity of the product filtrate is higher than the limit, the product filtrate is input into product filtrate collection tank 101, and vice versa. The product filtrate from product filtrate collection tank 101 is pumped to sedimentation and equalization tank 6 using a water pump, and then continues to enter the product thickener 7. The product filtrate from product filtrate collection tank 102 is pumped to the top water tank or the mixing tank.

[0030] More specifically, the supernatant from the thickener 7 is transported to the mixing tank 11, the top water tank 12, or the reagent room. The pH of the solutions in the mixing tank 11 and the top water tank 12 is adjusted using magnesium sulfate solution and concentrated sulfuric acid, and then pumped to the high-level leaching tank as leaching solution.

[0031] In another implementation example, combined with Figure 2 An electrically controlled water valve switch 35 is installed on the first inlet pipe 34 connecting the impurity removal tank and the impurity removal regulating tank 3. The flow rate of the first inlet pipe 34 is controlled by the electrically controlled water valve switch 35. A radar level gauge 36 is installed at the upper end of the impurity removal regulating tank 3. The radar level gauge 36 is used to detect the liquid level height in the impurity removal regulating tank 3, and detects the first low liquid level 33 and the second high liquid level 32. The liquid level height detected by the radar level gauge 36 controls the on / off state of the electrically controlled water valve switch 35. For example, when the pH of the impurity removal tank 31 is adjusted to 5.4, and the liquid level of the impurity removal regulating tank 3 is detected to be below the first low liquid level 33, the controller activates the electrically controlled water valve switch 35 based on the liquid level height signal from the radar level gauge 36, allowing the mother liquor from the impurity removal tank 31 to enter the impurity removal regulating tank 3 through the first inlet pipe 34. When the liquid level of the impurity removal regulating tank 3 reaches the second high liquid level 32, the controller deactivates the electrically controlled water valve switch 35 based on the liquid level height signal from the radar level gauge 36, cutting off the flow of mother liquor into the impurity removal regulating tank 3. Optionally, the radar level gauge 36 can be a high-frequency radar level gauge, manufactured by Hangzhou Meiyi Automation Co., Ltd., product model: WSR550.

[0032] The radar level gauge, controller, and electrically controlled water valve switch can be applied similarly to those described above in sedimentation tanks and sedimentation equalization tanks. For example, an electrically controlled water valve switch can be installed on the second inlet pipe connecting the sedimentation tank and the sedimentation equalization tank, and a radar level gauge can be installed at the upper end of the sedimentation equalization tank to detect the liquid level height inside. The principle is the same as the aforementioned liquid inlet method for the sedimentation equalization tank, and will not be repeated here.

[0033] Radar level gauges 36 are also installed in the impurity removal tank, sedimentation tank, and liquid preparation tank to detect the liquid level height in these tanks. pH meters are installed in the impurity removal tank, sedimentation tank, sedimentation conditioning tank, impurity removal conditioning tank, and liquid preparation tank to monitor the pH value of each tank in a timely manner.

[0034] Those skilled in the art will recognize that numerous variations are possible with respect to the above description, and the embodiments and figures are merely for describing one or more specific implementations.

[0035] Although exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described and illustrated, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes and substitutions can be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, many modifications can be made to adapt specific situations to the doctrine of the present invention without departing from the central concept of the present invention described herein. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but may include all embodiments and equivalents that fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A rare earth ore leach liquor continuous treatment system characterised by: The system includes a mother liquor tank, a purification platform, a purification and conditioning tank, a purification and thickening machine, a sedimentation platform, a sedimentation and conditioning tank, and a product thickening machine, which are connected in sequence. The heights of the mother liquor tank, the purification platform, and the sedimentation platform decrease sequentially. The height of the purification and conditioning tank is lower than the height of the purification platform. The height of the sedimentation and conditioning tank is lower than the height of the sedimentation platform.

2. The rare earth ore pregnant leach solution continuous treatment system of claim 1, wherein: The impurity removal platform is equipped with multiple impurity removal tanks, and each impurity removal tank uses the height difference to transport the mother liquor that has completed impurity removal to the impurity removal and conditioning tank.

3. The rare earth ore pregnant leach solution continuous treatment system of claim 2, wherein: The sedimentation platform is equipped with multiple sedimentation tanks, and the mother liquor from the sedimentation tanks that has completed sedimentation is continuously transported to the sedimentation conditioning tank by utilizing the height difference.

4. The rare earth ore pregnant leach solution continuous treatment system of claim 1, wherein: It also includes tailings filter presses, which use tailings filter presses to squeeze out and thicken the sediment at the bottom of the thickener.

5. The rare earth ore pregnant leachate continuous treatment system of claim 4, wherein: The filtrate from the tailings filter press is transported to a tailings filtrate collection tank, which is connected to the impurity removal and conditioning tank.

6. The rare earth ore pregnant leach solution continuous treatment system of claim 5, wherein: It also includes a tailings spiral conveyor, the inlet of which is connected to the bottom of the impurity removal and thickening machine, and the bottom outlet of which is connected to the tailings filter press; the supernatant of the tailings spiral conveyor is discharged into the tailings filtrate collection tank.

7. The rare earth ore pregnant leach solution continuous treatment system of claim 1, wherein: It also includes a product filter press, which transports the bottom sediment from the product thickener to the product filter press for filtration.

8. The rare earth ore pregnant leachate continuous treatment system of claim 7, wherein: It also includes a product filtrate collection tank, through which the outlet of the product filter press is used to transport the filtered filtrate to the product filtrate collection tank via a pipeline, and the product filtrate collection tank is connected to the sedimentation and conditioning tank or the top water tank via a pipeline.

9. The rare earth ore pregnant leachate continuous treatment system of claim 8, wherein: It also includes a product spiral conveyor, the inlet of which is connected to the bottom of the product thickener, the bottom outlet of which is connected to the product filter press, and the supernatant of the product spiral conveyor is discharged into the product filtrate collection tank.

10. The rare earth ore pregnant leach solution continuous treatment system of claim 3, wherein: It also includes a radar level gauge, a controller, and an electrically controlled water valve switch. The electrically controlled water valve switch is installed on the pipeline connecting the sedimentation tank to the sedimentation regulating tank and the pipeline connecting the impurity removal tank to the impurity removal regulating tank. The radar level gauge is installed at the upper end of the sedimentation tank and the regulating tank, respectively. The radar level gauge and the electrically controlled water valve switch are respectively connected to the controller for signal connection.

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