Just a hint that the processing of sea mud could be similar to so-called ionic clays.
The excerpt below is from Letters to Nature Geoscience back in 2011.
Deep-sea mud in the Pacific Ocean as a potential resource for rare-earth elements
EXCERPT:
"Our experiments using dilute acids (0.2 mol l−1 H2SO4 or 0.5 mol l−1 HCl) reveal that almost all of the REY, except Ce, are readily leached from the mud in 1 to 3 h (Supplementary Fig. S9).
"In addition, pulverization and beneficiation are not needed before metal leaching. These features enhance the potential of the REY-rich mud as a REY resource.
"Unless the great water depths (mostly 4,000–5,000 m; Supplementary Table S2) have a significant impact on the technological and economic viability of mining REY on seafloor, the REY-rich mud in the Pacific Ocean may constitute a highly promising REY resource for the future."
End EXCERPT.
Jap team maps 'semi-infinite' rare earth reserves, page-30
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