The optimization of leaching operation of Rare earth bearing ores is a complex process since many attributes simultaneously
affect the operation, with some of thembeing conflicting in nature. Therefore a proper selection of
the leaching process with pertinent attributes is crucial for the user in order to maximize the percentage recovery
with minimal operating costs. In this paper a methodology is proposed for evaluation, comparison and ranking of
various leaching process alternativeswhich wedefine as leaching candidates, in order to select the best candidate
from the available options. Coding scheme for 28 attributes is proposed in order to evaluate the available candidates.
A three stage procedure with elimination search, technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution
(TOPSIS) followed by line graphs and spider diagrams, is used for the optimal selection of candidate
leaching system. The proposedmethodology is illustratedwith an example by choosing a fewpertinent attributes
from the attributes. The suitability index for the best leaching candidate was calculated to be 0.5225 and the coefficient
of similarity (COS) values for the best candidate based on line graph and spider diagram obtained were
0.6183 and 0.2711 respectively.