Abstract:The bastnaesite rare earth crude concentrates contains 3%~10% iron, 50%~60% REO, and 6.5% moisture. Mineralogy analysis indicated that iron element was mainly occurred in the form of low magnetic hematite or limonite, a part of hematite and bastnaesite were not liberated completely, so it’s difficult to separate iron from bastnaesite by magnetic selection method. Method of magnetization roasting-magnetic separation was adopted to improve REO grade. Thermodynamics analysis of the magnetization roasting indicated that bastnaesite was decomposed during the roasting process, and didn’t react with the iron oxides. When temperature was higher than 626.85 ℃, water would react with carbon to produce CO and H2, which means the presence of water could promote the reduction of iron oxide. When the wet raw rare earth coarse concentrate was roasted at 650 ℃ for 30min, and the reductant dosage was 2%, the reduction degree was 41.59%. The roasted ore was treated by the process of magnetic separation-milling-magnetic separation. The REO grade and recovery of iron power were 68.53% and 96.59% respectively. The grade and recovery rate of iron concentrate were 68.56% and 80.83%, respectively. The process not only improved REO grade and obtained iron concentrates, but also omitted drying process.