Rare Earth Extraction from Phosphogypsum by Aspergillus niger Culture Broth

Jiangang Zhang; Xinyue Zhang; Xiangdong Su; Haijun Du; Yongzhong Lu; Qinglian Zhang

doi:10.3390/molecules29061266

Rare Earth Extraction from Phosphogypsum by Aspergillus niger Culture Broth

Molecules. 2024 Mar 13;29(6):1266. doi: 10.3390/molecules29061266.

Authors

Jiangang Zhang¹, Xinyue Zhang², Xiangdong Su¹, Haijun Du³, Yongzhong Lu¹, Qinglian Zhang⁴

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Light Metal Materials Processing Technology of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Institute of Technology, Guiyang 550025, China.
² School of Chemical Engineering, Guizhou Minzu University, Guiyang 550025, China.
³ School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Yili Normal University, Yining 835000, China.
⁴ School of Biology and Environmental Engineering, Guiyang University, Guiyang 550005, China.

Abstract

The extraction of rare earth elements (REEs) from phosphogypsum (PG) is of great significance for the effective utilization of rare earth resources and enhancing the resource value of PG waste residues. This study used Aspergillus niger (A. niger) fungal culture filtrate as a leaching agent to investigate the behavior of extracting REEs from PG through direct and indirect contact methods. According to the ICP-MS results, direct leaching at a temperature of 30 °C, shaking speed of 150 rpm, and a solid-liquid ratio of 2:1, achieved an extraction rate of 74% for REEs, with the main elements being yttrium (Y), lanthanum (La), cerium (Ce), and neodymium (Nd). Under the same conditions, the extraction rate of REEs from phosphogypsum using an A. niger culture filtrate was 63.3% higher than that using the simulated organic acid-mixed solution prepared with the main organic acid components in the A. niger leachate. Moreover, the morphological changes observed in A. niger before and after leaching further suggest the direct involvement of A. niger's metabolic process in the extraction of REEs. When compared to using organic acids, A. niger culture filtrate exhibits higher leaching efficiency for extracting REEs from PG. Additionally, using A. niger culture filtrate is a more environmentally friendly method with the potential for industrial-scale applications than using inorganic acids for the leaching of REEs from PG.

Keywords: Aspergillus niger; biological hydrometallurgy; leaching; phosphogypsum; rare earth elements.

MeSH terms

Aspergillus niger*
Calcium Sulfate
Lanthanum
Metals, Rare Earth*
Phosphorus*

Substances

phosphogypsum
Metals, Rare Earth
Lanthanum
Calcium Sulfate
Phosphorus

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Project of the Key Laboratory of Light Metal Materials Processing of Guizhou Province (Qian Ke He Platform and talent [2016]5104), Key field projects of Guizhou Provincial Department of Education (Qianjiaohe KY [2021] 052), the Special Fund for Guiding Local Scientific and Technological Development by the Central Government (Qiankezhongyindi [2017] 4010), and the Technology Platform and Talent Team Plan of Guizhou Province, China (Qiankehe Platform and Talent [2017] 5621). High-level Talent Research Start-up Funding Project of Guizhou Institute of Technology (0203001023006). Science and Technology Plan Project of Guiyang City (Zhuke Contract [2022] No. 2-6). The National Natural Science Foundation of China (82060714). The Green Chemistry and Resource Environment Innovation Team of Guizhou Higher Education Institution (Qianjiaoji [2022] 013). The Natural Science Foundation of Lili Normal University (2024ZDZX001).