Abstract
Rare earth elements (REEs) are widely recognized as vital, strategic resources that play an essential role in a broad range of modern industries, including the clean technology sector, due to their unique chemical and physical properties. Renewable energy systems, such as wind turbines and electric vehicles, rely heavily on REE-based components, particularly permanent magnets, which provide high efficiency and durability. As the global push toward decarbonization accelerates, ensuring a stable and sustainable supply of these elements has become a major economic and geopolitical priority. This project evaluates the effectiveness of nitric, hydrochloric, and sulfuric acids as individual leaching agents for extracting REEs from a Canadian phosphate ore, serving as a proof-of-concept study. The influence of key operational parameters, including temperature, acid concentration, and liquid-to-solid ratio, is also examined. Among the acids tested, nitric acid showed the highest selectivity, recovering more than 95% of the REEs while extracting less than 10% of iron and aluminum. Furthermore, the most suitable acid will be selected, and the process conditions will be optimized based on downstream processes, eco-friendliness, and overall operational costs.