METHOD FOR SEPARATING BOTH OF LIGHT RARE EARTH ELEMENTS AND HEAVY RARE EARTH ELEMENTS FROM PROCESSING OBJECT CONTAINING THEM

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for separating both of light rare earth elements and heavy rare earth elements from a processing object containing them as an alternative technique of a solvent extraction method.SOLUTION: A calcium reduction reaction is conducted on a mixture of composite oxide or oxide of light rare earth elements and heavy rare earth elements obtained from a processing object containing the light rare earth elements and the heavy rare earth elements in the presence of a getter metal, a light rare earth metal reduced by the calcium reduction reaction is alloyed with the getter metal and recovered.SELECTED DRAWING: None