Rare metal extraction & recovery
Hydrometallurgy Equipment for Rare Metal Extraction, Recovery & Refining
Hydrometallurgy equipment for recovering and purifying rare metals from scrap, ash and concentrates. We combine process design, equipment manufacturing and integrated line supply around your feed and target product.
Discuss your feed
The recovery duty
Rare Metal Recovery from Scrap, Ash and Concentrates
Low-grade and impurity-bearing feeds need a recovery approach that addresses both the valuable metal and the material surrounding it. The equipment has to support transfer, separation and purification, rather than simply reproduce the arrangement used for another raw material.
The intended output may be a high-purity oxide or another intermediate or final product. Start by defining that product and the feed it must come from. A rare metal recovery plant is then considered as a combination of suitable process sections, with a supply boundary agreed for each section. Specify whether the product will be transferred to a further refining stage or supplied as the finished material. That distinction helps define where this equipment package begins and ends.
Our focus is equipment and integrated systems for these recovery duties. For background on the approach, see hydrometallurgy. This overview helps you identify a relevant metal or operation before discussing a specific line.
Start with the raw material
Feed Materials We Work With
Feeds with the same target metal can require different equipment. Describe the material as received, including its physical form and known impurities, before comparing recovery options. If the grade or impurity information is incomplete, identify what is known and which parts still need to be established. A proposed process should be tied to that feed description rather than to a generic capacity figure.
Cutting and grinding scrap
Germanium cutting and grinding residues are a solid-liquid secondary feed. Leaching and washing are among the operations used to bring germanium into solution before purification.
Germanium-bearing fly ash
Arsenic-free and arsenic-bearing fly ash are distinct feed categories. Identify whether arsenic is present so that the separation and purification discussion addresses the relevant material.
Concentrates and other residues
For tantalum-niobium concentrates, tin slag or another metal-bearing material, send the feed information first. A defined equipment scope needs a feed-specific assessment; suitability should not be inferred from the material name alone.
Select an equipment duty
Hydrometallurgy Equipment by Unit Operation
A hydrometallurgy process combines the operations needed for a particular feed and product. The sections below are equipment categories, not a universal sequence that every plant must follow.
Leaching & Acid Digestion
Acid or alkaline leaching, in batch or continuous arrangements, is addressed through a leaching reactor selected for the feed.
Solvent Extraction & Stripping
A solvent extraction plant brings extraction, scrubbing and stripping sections together for the required separation duty.
Chlorination & Rectification
A chlorination reactor forms part of a section combining chlorination, rectification and condensation recovery.
Hydrolysis & Precipitation
A hydrolysis reactor supports the hydrolysis and precipitation stages used in preparing high-purity oxide precursors.
Rotary Calcination
A rotary calciner addresses rotary calcination or high-temperature reaction duties within the selected equipment scope.
Drying under Inert Gas
An inert gas drying system provides a nitrogen closed-loop drying arrangement for the relevant material.
Acid Recovery & Ultrapure Water
A hydrochloric acid recovery system and associated pure-water equipment address supporting recovery and water requirements.
Delivered references
Delivered Rare Metal Recovery Plant Projects
These delivered germanium projects cover different feeds. Each reference identifies a project scope; its scale and product should not be treated as a guarantee for another material.
Cutting & grinding scrap
A rare-metal processor in central China.
- Product
- 5N GeO2
- Scale
- 100–200 kg Ge per batch
Leaching, washing, adsorption purification, filtration and drying.
Delivered · 2026Arsenic-free fly ash
germanium purification line
A rare-metal processor in central China.
- Product
- Germanium product from fly ash
- Scale
- 35 t/d fly ash
Chlorination, rectification, filtration, condensation recovery, hydrolysis and vacuum drying.
Delivered · 2026Arsenic-bearing fly ash
arsenic-bearing germanium feed
A rare-metal processor in central China.
- Product
- Germanium product; AsCl3 / FeCl3 separated
- Scale
- 10 t/d fly ash
Chlorination and separation, rectification, de-arsenic rectification, hydrolysis and vacuum drying.
Delivered · 2026Develop the equipment scope
From Custom Lab Unit to Full Line
A custom low-capacity unit can be designed around the customer’s process before the equipment scope develops into an engineered line. We manufacture pilot plant equipment for a defined duty; this is equipment supply, not a general laboratory testing or analytical service.
The move to a full line requires an engineering discussion about the feed, target product, selected operations and interfaces. A small unit and a complete line do not have identical supply boundaries. Agree which equipment, controls and connections belong to the package before comparing proposals.
For a turnkey package, the contract Scope of Supply defines the equipment boundary. Scope of supply: civil works, utilities and local permits are by the client. Review how we work when defining responsibilities.
Installation and commissioning are covered by a separate service contract after the order. Materials of construction are selected for the material you process.
Planning a recovery project
FAQ
Which rare metals have you built recovery lines for?
The delivered references on this page are germanium lines for cutting and grinding scrap, arsenic-free fly ash and arsenic-bearing fly ash. For another target metal, send the feed and product information so the proposed scope can be discussed separately.
Can one plant handle more than one feed type?
Compatibility depends on the feed and the operations required. Different impurity profiles can change the purification duty. Do not assume that a line built for one feed can accept another without reviewing the material and equipment scope.
Do you supply single units or complete lines?
We supply individual process equipment as well as integrated lines. Define the operation you need, the upstream and downstream connections and the equipment already on site. This helps establish what the new package must include. Where equipment already exists, identify the section to be retained and the connections the new supply must meet.
How do you move from a lab unit to a full-scale plant?
A custom unit is designed for the customer’s process; engineering then defines the scope of the larger line. Review the feed, product and operation requirements rather than scaling by appearance alone. Related reading on pyrometallurgy and hydrometallurgy discusses the broader route-selection question.
Start an equipment discussion
Send Your Feed Details
Tell us your feed, target metal and capacity - we will suggest a unit-operation route.
Include the material source, target metal and known grade, the required processing capacity and whether arsenic or other impurities are present. Identify the intended product so that the discussion starts with the recovery duty.