The effect of particle size separation on the enrichment and recovery of rare earth elements from South African coal fly ash

Abstract

There has been increasing interest in finding alternative sources for Rare Earth Elements (REEs) due to their application in green energy and Coal Fly Ash (CFA) has been found to be a viable potential source. Thus investigations on the feasibility of recovering REEs from CFA and the possibility of optimizing the current recovery techniques have become popular. The main focus in the investigations has been to use equipment and products that are environmentally sustainable and economically efficient. In addition, studies have shown that there is a relationship between the particle size of CFA and the REE concentration, which can potentially increase the recovery of REEs. However, there have been inconsistencies in the findings of this relationship.