Mechanoactivation has a significant effect on the properties of phosphogypsum (PG) and on the efficiency of rare earth element (REE) extraction from it. When the process is conducted in wet mode using bead-type activators, the phosphogypsum samples retain their crystallinity. The increase in REE leaching from activated phosphogypsum is associated with an increase in various structural defects in its crystal lattice, the cumulative effect of which is expressed as microstrains caused by first- and third-order stresses. Kinetic studies of lanthanide leaching from activated samples showed that the process rate is limited by their internal diffusion. The calculated amount of energy absorbed by the PG sample after mechanoactivation was 6.61 kJ/mol.
S.V. Kirillov (Wed,) studied this question.