Rare Earth Metals Extraction from RDA Red Mud's got Titanium and Iron by-products

“There will be no Mining operations and related pressures on the environment”

Comments by Chairman of the JBI (Jamaica Bauxite Institute), Dr. Parris Lyew-Ayee, at the Ground breaking Ceremony for Nippon Light Metal Company Limited Extraction Plant

After the announcement by Minister of Science, Technology Energy and Mining Phillip Paulwell of Jamaica’s intention to extract Rare Earth Metals from Red Mud located in the RDA (Residue Disposal Area) as originally reported in my blog article entitled “Japan’s Nippon Light Metal Company Limited to mine Rare Earth elements in Jamaica - Jack Reacher recycling gadgets for Rare Earth Elements”, the progress has been relatively brisk.

Please take note of the Word “extraction”…..it’ll pop up later in my article!

This is surprisingly fast for a Government traditionally known for dragging its feet on FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) matters! Minister Phillip Paulwell and Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller participated in ground breaking exercise for the Extraction of Rare Earth Metals on Monday February 4^th 2013.

The Ground breaking Ceremony took with Japanese officials from Nippon Light Metal Company Limited as reported in “Ground broken for Rare-Earth Project”, published Tuesday, February 05, 2013 | 8:23 AM, The Jamaica Observer and “Jamaica breaks ground on rare-earth project”, published February 4, 2013 by David Mcfadden, PhysOrg.

Again note that this is a Rare Earth Extraction Plant, not Mining. The Rare Earth Metals are already in colloidal suspension in the Red Mud Residue at concentration levels 2500 time higher on average than normally found in Red Mud in RDA for other Bauxite Mining operations worldwide as noted in “Up to 2,500 per cent higher concentration levels in Ja’s red Mud 'God-blessed dirt'”, published Wednesday, February 13, 2013 BY JULIAN RICHARDSON Assistant business co-ordinator, The Jamaica Observer.

Precipitation via the addition of a Chemical Binding Agent to react with and make an organo-metallic complex with the Rare Earth Metal. This then settles out of solution and then the Spent Liquor is decanted and recycled back into the process. The remaining residue at the bottom of the Precipitation Tanks is the Green Liquor, and is the first stage of Extraction. 

Centrifuging is then used to separate the different Rare Earth Metals via Mass and then the Separate Mixtures either oxidized by a strong oxidizing agent to again precipitate out as an Oxide. This allows the Chemical Binding Agent to be recycled (especially if it’s very expensive in the Process) or Calcination to basically oxidize the Rare Earth to a Oxide, the usual form Rare Earths are sold. Milling and grading to produce powders of various particle size as per requirement by clients is the last stage; presentation is key in selling these toxic Rare Earth Metals.

As such, the Process as suggested above present no direct Mining impact on the environment as, say, Gold Mining would. NEPA (National Environment and Planning Agency) approval further proves this as noted in “NEPA gives OK to rare earth minerals application”, published Thursday January 24, 2013 | 10:10, The Jamaica Gleaner, as ironically this Rare Earth Extraction is a further Recycling of the Red Mud that’s gathering space at the back of Bauxite companies and using up Land that would have other Productive uses. 

In an interview with the Jamaica Information Service a few days later as noted in “Red Mud Project No Danger to Environment”, published Monday, 11 February 2013 16:52 by Alecia Smith-Edwards, Jamaica Information Service, Dr. Parris Lyew-Ayee, Chairman of the JBI (Jamaica Bauxite Institute) gives a better answer as it relates to handling of the Bauxite Waste.

His explanation goes into a bit more detail on how safe the Rare Earth Extraction is from Red Mud located in the RDA, quote: “This red Mud will be neutralized with acid, that’s the first thing we do. The red Mud that we have in our various Mud containment ponds…are very safe and secure. It’s caustic (and) alkaline and some people would classify it as a hazardous material. This process is going to neutralize it so it would then be non-toxic. We will then be extracting the rare earth elements, Oxides, from this red Mud”.

Doesn’t get any more straightforward than that!

Public consultations aren’t necessary either as concluded in “No public consultation on rare minerals pilot plant construction”, published Sunday February 10, 2013 6:12 pm, The Jamaica Gleaner. The Rare Earth Extraction will make the problem of having a RDA disappear over time as the Extraction process picks up steam. So it’s already going to be a benefit to the people who have had to tolerate the Caustic Soda (NaOH) smell from the RDA for years.

Added to that the fact that it’s the right type of FDI income generating activity needed for Jamaica post-NDX (National Debt Exchange) as described in my blog article entitled “Jamaican Government to implement NDX, essentially JDX2 2.0 to get IMF Agreement - Tax Reform and FDI Investments Bullet to the Head and Oblivion”, and the GOJ’s “youthful exuberance” over this project is explainable.

But the Good News of Metal Extractions (notice the word again!!) apparently doesn’t stop there.

Turns out after the Rare Earth have been extracted, there may also be Titanium and Iron, also in considerably high concentration, left behind in the waste of Tailings that can also be further extracted. Titanium Oxide and Iron Oxide, both oxides of Transition Metals, may be further by-products that can be extracted from the Red Mud located in the RDA (Residue Disposal Area) as stated in the article “Jamaica hopes to harvest titanium from red Mud”, published Wednesday February 13, 2013, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Even more interesting, a tested, tried and proven method exists to resuscitate mined out Bauxite lands.

This method of Land resuscitation for Agricultural usage involves using Gypsum, chemical name calcium sulfate di-hydrate [CaSO₄•2(H₂O)] and dried Organic Waste from Farming or just simply Compost mixed into topsoil of mined-out Bauxite Lands as stated in the article “NCU scientist points to recognised solution for alumina dumps”, published Monday, February 11, 2013 BY RHOMA TOMLINSON Observer writer, The Jamaica Gleaner.

If this method of Bauxite Land Resuscitation which was developed by NCU (Northern Caribbean University) Dr. Mark Harris is applied wholesale, it would close the loop as it relates to the effect of Bauxite Mining on Jamaica. This as it would allow former mined out lands to be returned to Agricultural productivity, effectively a recycling even the very land used for Bauxite Mining.

Thus the fears of Opposition Finance spokesperson Audley Shaw are unfounded as noted in “Shaw concerned about environmental impact of rare earth project”, published Wednesday February 20, 2013 7:34 am, RJR News Online. No Mining is involved, merely extraction, with the waste products post-extraction of Rare Earth Metals being further recyclable for Titanium and Iron. And as an additional plus, and the land being further resuscitated via an already approved method being used by the JBI and developed, ironically, by the NCU from Manchester.

These are big revelations being made even as construction for the plant gets underway. Farming stands to benefit in The Place Beyond the Pines (2013). Even better, it’s now a strong incentive to shut down the Scrap Metal Trade as All You Need is Kill (2013) via Rare Earth Metal Mining, as there’s more Iron and Titanium in the Red Mud than currently legally available lying around to be picked up in Jamaica.