Recovery of fluorine, uranium, and rare earth metal values from phosphoric acid by-product brine raffinate

A method for recovering substantially all of the fluorine and uranium values and at least 90 percent of the rare earth metal values from brine raffinate obtained as by-product in the production of phosphoric acid by the hydrochloric acid decomposition of tricalcium phosphate minerals is described. A basically reacting compound is added to the brine raffinate to effect a pH 9 or greater, whereby fluorine, uranium and rare earth metal values are simultaneously precipitated. These values may then be separately recovered from the precipitate by known processes