PURPOSE: To recover and to purify an extremely small amount of a rare earth element almost completely, by dissolving a mixed material containing the rare earth element in an acidic aqueous solution with a high concentration of alcohol to give a solution, passing it through an anion exchange resin so that the rare earth element is adsorbed on the resin, liberating it.

CONSTITUTION: A mixed material containing a rare earth element is dissolved in an acid, an alcohol is added to the acid until the alcohol content is made ≥90wt%, and the resultant solution is passed through an anion exchange resin. Nearly 100% rare earth metal only is adsorbed on the anion exchange resin, and other elements are made to flow out. An aqueous solution containing ≤90wt% alcohol is passed through the anion exchange resin column having adsorbed the rare earth element, the rare earth metal is liberated, and it can be recovered. In the operation, when the acidic solution is acidified with nitric acid, the discharged rare earth element is in the form of nitric acid and obtained as a stable solution.