Publication: Production of re oxides from re oxalate/carbonate via calcination: characterization and optimization
Date
2025-08-07
Authors
Tihani binti Aswad
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Abstract
Rare earth elements (REEs) are important in many modern technologies but producing them in a pure form is still challenging. This study aims to better understand how temperature and time affect the production of rare earth oxides (REOs) through calcination. Two types of samples were used which rare earth carbonate (REC) from Terengganu and rare earth oxalate (REOx) from Kelantan. Both were analyzed before and after calcination using techniques such as XRF, XRD, FESEM-EDX, ICP-OES and ICP-MS. The calcination process was carried out at 600°C, 725°C and 850°C for 30, 90 and 150 minutes. After heating, clear crystal structures of REOs were formed. Pr₆O₁₁ was identified from the REOx sample and Dy₂O₃ from the REC sample, confirming successful transformation. The best results were seen in the REOx sample at 725°C for 90 minutes with a REE content of 93.63%. For the REC sample, the highest REE content was 91.63% at 600°C for 30 minutes. Overall, impurities such as SO₃ and Fe₂O₃ were reduced and statistical analysis confirmed that both temperature and time significantly affected the REE purity. These findings show that controlled calcination is a promising