Misch Metal

Description

Misch Metal are metals extract from rare earth ores containing lanthanum, cerium, praseody, neodymium, and small amounts of samarium, europium, and gadolinium. Misch Metal oxides or chlorides are then refin through molten saltsis to produce the metal.

Although this process has the advantage of lower costs, it also has significant drawbacks such as severe environmental pollution and levels of non-rare earth impurities in the product.The mix rare earth metals produced by this process are mainly use for additives in the steel industry. If in Ni/MH battery production, the production process must improve to enhance product quality.

Mixed rare earth metals is initially make from monazite (an anhyrous phosphate of light lanthanides and thorium). First, the ore broke down at high temperatures with concentrate sulfuric acid or sodium hydroxide., thorium remove using its lower alkalinity compare to trivalent lanthanides, allowing the thorium to precipitate as radium in barium sulfate The remaining lanthanides are then converte to chlorides. The resulting “rare earth chlorides” (hexahydrates) are crucial compounds in rare earth industry.

When electrolyzing oxides to produce rare earth metals in a fluoride system, the composition of  mix rare earth metals obtain is not the same as that of the oxides when the composition of theten salt is the same as that of the oxides. However, by configuring a specific composition of the molten salt, it is possible to consistently produce mixed earth metals with stable compositions.