Rare Earth Extraction using Solvent Extraction: Which Factor Has the Most Significant Impact?

Using a two-level factorial design, a study was undertaken to change the parameters impacting the recovery of rare earth from rare earth mixture. The experimental design was used to screen and identify the major contributing aspects to rare earth recovery. The experiment aims to isolate samarium from a mixture of samarium, europium, and gadolinium. Factors involved consist of pH (pH 1 and pH 6), acid type (nitric acid and hydrochloric acid) and concentration (1.0M and 5.0M), mixing duration (30 min and 120 min), feed composition (20% samarium and 80% samarium), type of diluent (hexane and chloroform), temperature (room temperature and 60°C) and organic to aqueous phase ratio (1:1 and 2:1). The results showed that the samarium recovery was in the range of 0.98% to 90.88%. Based on analysis variance (ANOVA), five factors significantly affect the samarium recovery out of eight factors explored. The five factors according to the most significant order are pH> feed composition> organic to aqueous phase ratio>acid concentration>acid type>mixing duration>type of diluent> temperature. Statistical analysis shows that the linear model is significant, with the value of R2 is 0.9886. Based on the statistical data, five significant variables influence the separation of samarium. This research shows that two-level factorial design can anticipate significant variables impacting rare earth separation, particularly samarium, in the solvent extraction process

Extraction of samarium, europium And gadolinium using [trialkylammonium][di-(2- Ethylhexyl) phosphate]

The separation of the rare earth elements is a difficult task owing to the chemical similarity of the lanthanides. The conventional solvent extraction method using (di-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid), DEHPA requires a large number of stages and consumes significant amounts of acid and base for effective separation. In this study, a bifunctional ionic liquid [trialkylammonium][di-(2-ethylhexyl)phosphate], [A336][DEHPA] was investigated as an alternative extractant for the separation of samarium, europium and gadolinium was compared to DEHPA. The effect of acid type (acid nitric, HNO3, hydrochloric acid, HCl, sulfuric acid, H2SO4) and concentration (1.5M-5.0M) , as well as organic to aqueous (O:A) phase ratio (1:1,3:2,7:3,4:1,9:1) were studied using one-factorat- time (OFAT) experimental method. The response surface methodology (RSM) using historical data design (HDD) was further used to optimized and validate the results. The number of extraction and scrubbing stages were then calculated according to Counter Current Theory Model and were validated experimentally. Techno-economic analysis was performed for both extractants, with the published data on 2-ethylhexyl phosphoric acid mono 2-ethylhexyl ester (EHEHPA) serving as the baseline. The best condition for samarium separation was achieved using [A336][DEHPA] with separation factor of 2.93, in comparison with DEHPA with 1.93. The optimum samarium separation condition was using 3.0M HNO3 with O:A of 4:1 for [A336][DEHPA], and 2.0M HCl with O:A of 7:3 for DEHPA. The separation of remaining elements, europium and gadolinium, showed [A336][DEHPA] have better separation capabilities against DEHPA with separation factors of 3.44 and 2.38, respectively. The optimum condition for separation of europium and gadolinium was 3.5M HNO3 at O:A of 4:1 for [A336][DEHPA] and 3.0M. HCl at O:A of 4:1 for DEHPA. The total number of extraction and scrubbing stages for the entire process calculated and validated for each extractant was 30 stages for [A336][DEHPA] and 46 stages for DEHPA. The benchmark selected for techno-economic comparison in this study was EHEHPA, a well-established extractant used in industrial applications. The analysis revealed that the overall cost for [A336][DEHPA] was 46.49% lower than the cost of the baseline (EHEHPA), indicating a substantial reduction in expenses achieved by the new extractant. Additionally, DEHPA demonstrated a cost reduction of 34.15% compared to the baseline. This difference was primarily attributed to the higher cost associated with the development of the mixer settler for EHEHPA and DEHPA. In conclusion, [A336][DEHPA] demonstrated superior separation capabilities with higher separation factors, lower reagent consumption, and reduced costs compared to other extractants. It offers a greener alternative with a smaller number of stages required for rare earth processing. Therefore, [A336][DEHPA] holds great promise for industrial mineral processing in the future

Evaluation of the allelopathic potential of fifteen common Malaysian weeds

The use of allelopathy concept in weed management has received attentions to minimize extensively the reliance on herbicide applications on the agriculture industry in Malaysia. A laboratory study was conducted to evaluate the allelopathic potential of 15 Malaysian common weed species of different morphological characteristics (broadleaves, sedges and grasses). They were screened using the Sandwich method (from leaf litter leachate) and the Dish pack method (for testing the presence and content of volatile compounds in weeds). Among the 15 weed species tested, the leaf litter leachate of Centrosema pubescens was observed to be the most sensitive plant material inhibiting the growth of lettuce radicle (84%) and hypocotyl (55%) in the Sandwich bioassay compared to the control. This was followed by Asystasia gangentica (81%) and Cynodon dactylon (80%) inhibiting the lettuce radicle growth. In the Dish pack bioassay, Rhynchelytrum repens demonstrated maximum inhibition on the radicle and hypocotyl elongations by 44% and 29%, respectively, (over control) at 41 mm distance from the source well. Meanwhile, at the same distance, Cynodon dactylon was observed to have the least inhibitory effect on lettuce radicle growth by 12%. The results presented can be utilized as benchmark information for further research on the identification and isolation of allelochemicals for weed control strategies

Techno-economic assessment of the separation of samarium, europium and gadolinium

Spiking of the rare earth demand and price globally has put tremendous pressure to look for a new alternative in extractant that could provide better separation and higher output, yet with minimal cost. This work aimed to perform the techno-economic assessment on the new extractant against the conventional extractants; DEHPA and 2-ethylhexyl phosphoric acid-2-ethylhexyl ester (EHEHPA) in pursuance of evaluating the feasibility of these extractants on an industrial scale. This work focused on a recent extractant type, which incorporates two common extractants and produces a bifunctional ionic liquid called [A336][DEHPA]. It is a mixture of Aliquat 336 (A336) and di-(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (DEHPA) through acid/base neutralization. Previously, [A336][DEHPA] has shown good extraction capabilities with low extraction stages in the separation of samarium, europium, and gadolinium. EHEHPA has been selected as the baseline using the information from the literature. The assessment is divided into two scenarios; 1) the separation of samarium from the middle rare earth concentrate and 2) the separation of europium and gadolinium. The analysis outcome reveals that for both scenarios, DEHPA manages to provide 99.9% purity and 90% recovery of rare earth with lower investment compared to the EHEHPA. Although the [A336][DEHPA] could provide an environmental-friendly option, the enormous expenses make the process infeasible

Simulation solvent extraction of rare earth metal source origin from marine sediment

Ocean mining probably one of the world's largest untapped resources of rare earth elements. Specifically, the rare earth resources from polymetallic nodule which receive less attention from industry due to the various challenges. This article studied the simulation HDEHP-HCl system fractional cascade extraction strategy for extraction of rare earth elements from polymetallic nodule. HDEHP-HCl was capable of complete extract very high purity rare earth elements (99.9%). The fractional cascade extraction strategy simulation designed for the separation of rare earth elements could be momentous for practical application. The simulation data shows high purity of products at both outlets, aqueous and organic are obtainable. All these will provide the promising industrial applications of HDEHP-HCl system in extracting rare earth elements from polymetallic nodule with more fundamental data and guidance

The development of the soul in early childhood: a model based on Ibn Sina's theory of the soul in Islamic philosophy

Discover the profound impact of Islamic philosophy on soul development during early childhood with a model based on the renowned Ibn Sina's theory of the soul. Explore the thought-provoking insights and practical applications of this model that can help shape the minds and lives of young ones. Trust in the wisdom of the ancient Islamic philosophers and their groundbreaking theories that have stood the test of time. Gain a deeper understanding of the importance of nurturing the soul in the formative years and start a journey towards a more enlightened approach to child-rearing. This article uses a qualitative-descriptive approach involving a literature review and comparative analysis based on Ibn Sinā's works. The primary research method employed in this study is the Design and Development Research (DDR) method. This method involves a systematic investigation of the design and principles of the CSD Model. The research activities include developmental research stages using the Fuzzy Delphi Method. The study found that the text explores the concepts of religious education, emotional intelligence, and spiritual intelligence, highlighting the significance of emotional and spiritual literacy in children's education. It also discusses the CSD model proposed by Ibn Sina, which provides a hierarchical structure of the soul's different functions and levels, emphasizing physical, emotional, and intellectual integration within human beings. Furthermore, it discusses the crucial elements that parents believe are necessary for their children's spiritual development, including love and nurturing, values and morals, spirituality and faith, sense of identity, resilience and emotional intelligence, education and intellectual growth, compassion and empathy, freedom and independence, nature, and connection to the world, and relationships and social skills

Ascorbic acid loaded PLGA nanoparticles gel intended to treat oral squamous cell carcinoma

The conventional chemotherapy approach is associated with several drawbacks specifically detrimental adverse effects to the patient and occurrence of chemoresistance towards commonly used chemotherapy which further leads to treatment failure, disease recurrence and metastasis. The main objective of this study was to develop and characterise alternative potential anticancer ascorbic acid loaded PLGA nanoparticles gel for oral mucosa application for the treatment of oral squamous cell carcinoma. Ascorbic acid loaded PLGA nanoparticles were prepared by double emulsion solvent evaporation method followed by incorporation in different concentration of mucoadhesive Carbopol gel bases. The nanoparticles formulation were characterised for various physicochemical properties such as particle size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency, drug-polymer interaction, nanoparticles morphology and in vitro drug release profile. Ascorbic acid nanoparticle loaded mucoadhesive gel were evaluated for physical appearance, pH, viscosity, flow behaviour, spreadability, mucoadhesion and in vitro release study. The particle size of the optimised nanoparticles was found to be 252 ± 2.98 nm, polydispersity index of 0.151 ± 0.02, zeta potential of -20.93 ± 0.87 mV and encapsulation efficiency of 69.73 ± 1.07%. Scanning electron microscope images revealed the spherical shape of nanoparticles. The drug release behaviour exhibited a biphasic pattern namely initial burst release followed by controlled release subsequently. The FT-IR result confirmed the absence of drug-polymer interaction. The optimised nanoparticle-in-gel formulation showed a good physical appearance, pH value, spreadability, viscosity and mucoadhesion. The flow behaviour of the optimised nanoparticle-in-gel formulation exhibited pseudoplastic behaviour. The cumulative amount of ascorbic acid released at 6 hours was 42.9 ± 4.3% with zero-order release kinetics. In conclusion, ascorbic acid loaded PLGA nanoparticle-in-mucoadhesive gel was successfully prepared and the study proved the potentiality and suitability of the formulation to be topically applied to treat oral squamous cell carcinoma

Religious Leader’s Views Living Hadith Practices in Malaysia

Living Hadith is a cultural phenomenon practiced by a particular society and based on the hadith of the Prophet pbuh. It is a behavioral pattern resulted by the interaction of Muslims with the hadith. This study examines the extent to which the sunnah is practiced by the Muslim community in Malaysia, in addition to explaining the concept of “practicing the sunnah” in the perspective of Living Hadith as a research genre. In doing so, I interview five respondentsincluding muftis, academics, and religious figures who are active in the community. The findings show that the Muslim community barely knows the text of the hadith. They simply practice the content or what they believe to be the teaching of the prophetic hadith, encapsulating in their custom. Performing this, they have the rooted tendency to live in line with the religious and moral demands of Rasulullah pbuh. However, the community also needs to be ‘taught’ to see this practice as a sort of encouragement to perform good deeds. This practice nevertheless is not at the same obligatory level as the command to perform five daily prayers and Ramadan fasting. In other words, the Malaysian society sees the ‘living hadith’ as merely the practice of sunnah that is thus still related to the Prophet pbuh