Apatite ores are the most important phosphate materials used for the agricultural and livestock chemical production. With the global demand for phosphorous compounds, apatite and other phosphorus-bearing ores are being depleted. The main method of apatite ore enrichment at the moment is the flotation process, the efficiency of which depends on complex heterogeneous processes occurring at the boundary of three phases (“liquid–gas”, “solid–liquid”, and “solid–gas”). Significant influence on the process have the flotation modes and composition of the reagent mixture, which provide a synergistic effect. The purpose of this work was to investigate the reasons for the synergism of surfactants used in apatite ore flotation with fatty acid-based collectors. The object of the study is a monomineral fraction of apatite, separated from the apatite-nepheline ore of Khibiny deposits. In the course of the work, it was found that the mixture of sodium oleate and phospholane PE65 has a synergistic effect on the mineral surface of apatite during foam flotation. The ratio of reagents was determined at which the maximum synergistic effect was observed.

Nowadays, solving the problem of rational, integrated use of the mined raw materials, the transition to waste-free technologies for its processing is a crucial task. The sulfuric acid technology used for the processing of apatite concentrates on a large industrial scale does not provide the associated extraction of accompanying valuable components—rare earth metals (REM). During apatite concentrate processing, rare-earth metals are affected by the technology-related dispersion, being distributed between the insoluble leaching residue and phosphoric acid solution sent to the production of fertilizers. The necessity of a cost-effective method development for the extraction of rare earth metals is quite obvious already in connection with the indicated significance of the problem. Phosphoric acid solutions that simulate the composition of industrial phosphoric acid solutions of the following composition 4.5 mol/L H₃PO₄, 0.19 mol/L H₂SO₄ and 0.10–0.12% REM were selected as the object of research. The extraction of rare earth metals was carried out using polymers containing a fixed layer of an extractant—di-2-ethylhexylphosphoric acid (D2EHPA). Fixed layer was obtained by impregnation-saturation (solvent-impregnated resin (SIR)) or by the introduction of an extractant at the stage of polymer matrix synthesis (extractant-resin extraction (ERE)). The work determined the thermodynamic and technological characteristics of the solid-phase extraction of rare earth elements from phosphoric acid solutions with polymers impregnated with D2EHPA and containing a rigidly fixed extractant in a styrene-divinylbenzene resin matrix. The possibility of effective multiple use of polymeric resins containing D2EHPA, regenerated with a solution of 1 mol/L sodium citrate, was revealed.

The issues of complex processing of mineral resources are relevant due to the depletion of available raw materials. So, it is necessary to involve technological waste, generated during the processing of raw materials, to obtain valuable components. In the process flow of apatite concentrate treatment using the sulfuric acid method, a large amount of phosphogypsum is produced with an average content of light rare earth metals (REMs) reaching 0.032-0.45 %. When phosphogypsum is treated with sulfuric acid solutions, a part of REMs is transferred to the sulfate solution, from which it can be extracted by means of ion exchange method. The study focuses on sorption recovery of light REMs (praseodymium, neodymium and samarium) in the form of anionic sulfate complexes of the composition [ln(SO4)2]– on polystyrene anion exchanger AN-31. The experiments were performed under static conditions at a liquid-to-solid ratio of 1:1, pH value of 2, temperature of 298 K and initial REM concentration in the solutions ranging from 0.83 to 226.31 mmol/kg. Thermodynamic description of sorption isotherms was carried out by the method based on linearization of the mass action equation, modified for the ion exchange reaction. As a result of performed calculations, the authors obtained the constants of ion exchange equilibrium for Pr, Nd and Sm, as well as the values of the change in the Gibbs energy for the ion exchange of REM sulfate complexes on the AN-31 anion exchanger and the values of total capacity of the anion exchanger. Calculated separation factors indicated low selectivity of AN-31 anionite exchanger for light REMs; however, the anion exchanger is suitable for effective recovery of a sum of light REMs. Based on the average value of ion exchange equilibrium constant for light REMs, parameters of a sorption unit with a fluidized bed of anion exchanger were estimated.

The kinetic features of solvent and solid-phase extraction of yttrium and iron (III) from simulated and industrial phosphoric acid solutions are revealed. Di-2-ethylhexylphosphoric acid (D2EHPA) was used as a liquid extractant, and D2EHPA-containing Levextrel resin—a co-polymerization product of styrene and divinylbenzene in the presence of D2EHPA—was used as a solid-phase extraction agent. Significant dependence of yttrium extraction rate constant on the stirring rate was revealed using the formal first-order kinetic equation. The data obtained characterizes a diffusion-limited process with an activation energy of 16.2 ± 1.3 kJ/mol. Temperature increase during the iron (III) extraction process leads to a changeover of a rate-limiting stage from kinetic to diffusion, accompanied by drop of activation energy from 40.0 ± 1.4 to 11.4 ± 1.2 kJ/mol. Effective separation of elements at the extraction stage is possible at temperatures of 283–300 K under non-equilibrium conditions of the ferric ions transport from aqueous to organic phase. This condition ensures a high yttrium–iron separation coefficient of 23.2 in 1.5–2 min. Extraction kinetics by Levextrel resin are described by Fick’s second law equation, which establishes the laws of diffusion in the solid grain of the organic phase with an activation energy of 18.5 ± 2.0 kJ/mol.

Rare earth elements (REEs) are valuable and strategically important in many high-technology areas, such as laser technology, pharmacy and metallurgy. The main methods of REE recovery are precipitation, extraction and sorption, in particular ion exchange using various sorbents, which allow to perform selective recovery and removal of associated components, as well as to separate rare earth metals with similar chemical properties. The paper examines recovery of ytterbium in the form of coordination compounds with Trilon B on weakly basic anion exchange resin D-403 from nitrate solutions. In order to estimate thermodynamic sorption parameters of ytterbium anionic complexes, ion exchange process was carried out from model solutions under constant ionic strength specified by NaNO3, optimal liquid to solid ratio, pH level, temperatures 298 and 343 K by variable concentrations method. Description of thermodynamic equilibrium was made using mass action law formulated for ion exchange equation and mathematically converted to linear form. Values of equilibrium constants, Gibbs free energy, enthalpy and entropy of the sorption process have been calculated. Basing on calculated values of Gibbs energy, a sorption series of complex REE ions with Trilon B was obtained over anion exchange resin D-403 from nitrate solutions at temperature 298 K. Sorption characteristics of anion exchange resin have been estimated: total capacity, limiting sorption of complex ions, total dynamic capacity and breakthrough dynamic capacity.

The effective purification of large-capacity wastewater from heavy non-ferrous metals and organic pollutants using inexpensive sorption technology remains a crucial task. Analyzing the current objectives of sustainable development, biochar obtained from chicken manure has prospects as a source for sorption purification of industrial wastewater. To determine the characteristics of organic material and the composition of the initial and equilibrium phases, the following analysis methods were used: volumetric, complexometric, pH-metric, X-ray fluorescence, chromatographic, spectrophotometric, luminescence-photometric and X-ray diffraction. The thermal nitrogen desorption method was used for determining the specific surface area and pore sizes with the Quantachrome Nova 1000e automatic analyzer. The sorption properties of the reprocessing product of the fresh poultry manure were investigated in relation to organic and inorganic compounds: phenols, benzene, ketones, cations of lead, mercury, manganese and iron. Based on the results obtained, technical conditions were developed for the use of the reprocessed organic waste-based product as a sorption material for household, industrial and technological wastewater purification from organic and inorganic components.