Kalgoorlie..., page-8

Thanks very much for your reports, toly.

We have been given few details of the flow sheet after the KAL-MAL switch is thrown.

You made the following statement: " At this time there are no viable shortcuts to the cracking and leaching process which puts Lynas far ahead of the rest of the industry in terms of actual production…"

There are two methods of dissolving monazite ores and I have read both are currently in use (where or by whom not specified): one is acidic, one is caustic. The former features slightly better recovery but results in Thorium being dissolved with the REEs, whereas the latter can exclude the Thorium without concentration.

Because Mt Weld has not had an issue with Th in the past, they can use acidic C&L without worry, but the talk of third party processing suggests to me that they may be looking at a very different flow sheet. They have also told us they have a new "carbonate refining" process developed in house (incl collaborative research) and they have been granted money to run with it. I have seen no further details of the "world-first" process.

So it was with some interest that I read your claim that the " Kalgoorlie C&L process is basically the same process that is used in Malaysia however there are many new twists and improvements that set Kalgoorlie apart…"

SO, I wonder "What is new?" Got any clue?

There is yet another pathway to extraction of monazite and it looks very interesting: (18) (PDF) Leaching the Unleachable Mineral: Rare Earth Dissolution from Monazite Ore in Condensed Phosphoric Acid (researchgate.net)
As I do not know if that link is useful, I offer a screenshot to help those interested to loacte it - it is freely and public.