BATAN operates separation technology for rare earth elements
Wednesday, December 27 2017 - 01:47 AM WIB
The National Nuclear Power Agency (BATAN), through its Nuclear Mineral Technology Center (or PTBGN), has set up a laboratory called Laboratory PLUTHO in Pasar Jumat, Jakarta, which operates a technology for separation of uranium, thorium, and other rare earth elements from monazite, a byproduct of tin production.
?This is a pilot project. We get the raw material from PT Timah at a volume of 50 kg per batch. It?s not much because it?s not yet commercialize,? said BATAN Head, Djarot Sulistiono recently, referring to state-controlled tin mining firm.
Djarot explained that the opening up of the Laboratory PLUTHO forms part of efforts toward the development of rare earth mineral industry in Indonesia. He said that the government has strong interest in the development of rare earth minerals, a program included in the National Medium Term Development Plan (or RPJMN).
The Laboratory PLUTHO currently functions as the center for research and development of rare earth minerals in the country. Going forward, PLUTHO will supply hydroxide rare earth metals for various research activities in the country.
Indonesia holds huge rare earth mineral potential, and aims to become a key supplier in the global market currently dominated by China. Rare earth metals are used in various industries such as electronics, automotive, aerospace, oil, and defense.
PLUTHO currently has processing capacity of 50 kg of monazite per batch, according to Djarot. He said that as per mid-December 2017, the laboratory has produced hydroxide rare earth metals totaling 12 batches with output quantity varying from 10-15 kg of hydroxide rare earth elements per batch. Part of the production has been sent to BATAN?s Center for Science and Accelerator Technology (PTSA) in Yogyakarta for further processing into cerium oxide, lanthanum oxide, and neodymium oxide. Another part of the output was sent to the Coal and Mineral Technology Development and Research Center of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources in Bandung, West Java Province, to be further processed into gadolinium oxide.
?We hope the Laboratory PLUTHO could become the center to supply rare earth elements to various industries,? Djarot said.
Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak