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Why must rare-earth ores be concentrated before chemical processing?

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A line graph showing electron probability distributions for gadolinium, with separate curves for 4f, 5s, 5p, 5d, and 6s orbitals. The x-axis shows distance from the nucleus in atomic units and the y-axis shows probability P2(r). — rare-earth element Electron probabilities, P²*(r)*, for the 4f, 5s, 5p, 5d, and 6s electrons of gadolinium.

Rare-earth ores must be concentrated before chemical processing because raw ores typically contain less than 10 percent rare-earth oxide (REO). To facilitate efficient further processing, these materials must be upgraded to a concentration of approximately 60 percent.1

The concentration process involves grinding the ore into a powder and utilizing various separation techniques—such as magnetic separation, electrostatic separation, and flotation—to remove unwanted materials from the ore body. By removing these impurities early, the subsequent chemical steps, such as acid leaching or the use of solvent extraction to isolate individual lanthanides, become more effective and manageable.12