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.