Hanoi approves pilot project for high-purity rare earth oxide production

The Hanoi People's Committee has approved an 18-month pilot project to test the production of total rare earth oxides (TREO) with a purity level exceeding 95% at a semi-industrial scale. The project, managed by the Mining Construction and Technology Consulting Joint Stock Company, will utilize up to 100 tons of raw ore sourced from the Dong Pao mine in Lai Chau province.

The production line is designed with a capacity of 100 kg of raw ore per hour and will employ a closed-loop system to control material flow, technical parameters, environmental factors, and safety. The technology, based on patent number 33663, involves two primary stages: flotation for ore enrichment and hydrometallurgy for oxide production.

This pilot aims to evaluate the stability and operational efficiency of the technology to determine its feasibility for full-scale industrial deployment. Additionally, the results will provide a scientific basis for establishing technical standards, economic norms, and management regulations for deep rare earth processing in Vietnam. The process includes water recycling and the recovery of valuable by-products such as barite, fluorite, and sodium hexafluorosilicate to enhance resource efficiency and minimize waste.