OPTIMIZATION OF DESTRUCTION MONAZITE SAND FROM BANGKA FOR DISSOLVING RARE EARTH ELEMENTS USING ACID WITH MICROWAVE OVEN

• Main Author: Effendi, Mutiara
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Subjects: Kimia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/35299
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Monazite has become precious mineral recently due to its contain of rare earth elements (REEs). Most of high technological goods are made from REEs. Some of them are magnet NdFeB, colourish ceramic, La X-ray screen, etc. Separation of each REEs is the most important issues in handling this mineral. Similarity in physical and chemistry property of REEs are the major problem in separation process. Another important problem in handling monazite is destruction step. This step become important because monazite needs to be prepared and extracted optimally into a solution before separation process held. The objective of this research is to find optimum condition for dissolving monazite sand with acid using microwave heater. Variables that are used can be divided into 3 point. First, type of strong acids (HCl, HNO3, H2SO4, and HCl:HNO3 3:1). Second, acid concentration (1 M-6 M). The last variable is monazite particle size (100 mesh, 140 mesh, and 230 mesh). The efficiency of leaching is evaluated based on the amount of REEs diluted into solution. The concentration of REEs before leaching is measured by using X-ray Fluorecency (XRF), while REEs after leaching is complexed with alizarin sulfonate and its absorbance is measured by using spectrometer UV-vis. The optimum condition is obtained when monazite sand with particle size 140 < x < 100 mesh dissolved in H2SO4 6 M. Efficiency of leaching on this condition is 25,63 %.