Abstract: A process for recovering rare earth elements from a composite ore containing rare earth elements that includes a monazite group mineral and an apatite mineral, includes pre-leaching the composite ore with an acid so as to substantially dissolve the apatite mineral into the leach liquor and precipitating rare earth elements from the pre-leach liquor. The residue of the pre-leaching step is subjected to an acid bake treatment, followed by a water leach, to produce a water leach liquor rich in rare earth elements. Impurities including thorium and iron are separated from the water leach liquor by introducing a neutralizing additive to the water leach liquor rich in rare earth elements, and rare earth elements are precipitated from the post-neutralization liquor.

Abstract: A process for recovering rare earth elements from a composite ore containing rare earth elements that includes a monazite group mineral and an apatite mineral, includes pre-leaching the composite ore with an acid so as to substantially dissolve the apatite mineral into the leach liquor and precipitating rare earth elements from the pre-leach liquor. The residue of the pre-leaching step is subjected to an acid bake treatment, followed by a water leach, to produce a water leach liquor rich in rare earth elements. Impurities including thorium and iron are separated from the water leach liquor by introducing a neutralizing additive to the water leach liquor rich in rare earth elements, and rare earth elements are precipitated from the post-neutralization liquor.

Abstract: A system and method for managing and processing insurance claims is provided that implements an object oriented graphic user interface. The system includes at least one remote computer for entering and viewing insurance claim information. A wide area network capable of communicating with the remote computer and a computer in communication with said wide area network are also included. An insurance datafile, generated at said remote computer, is transferrable over the network. The method includes the steps of transmitting a claim assignment from an insurance office computer to a mailbox in a communications server, retrieving the assignment at a remote computer and generating an insurance claim datafile containing all data pertinent to an insurance claim and allowing for bidirectional transmission of the datafile over a wide area network. A graphic user interface for use in managing an insurance claim from an initial claim to final settlement is also included.