A process to recover rare earth(RE) metals from spent fluid catalytic cracking(FCC) catalysts by solvent extraction was studied, using saponified 2-ethylhexyl phosphoric acid-2-ethylhexyl ester(EHEHPA or P507). The recovery process involved three steps:(1) leaching REs(mainly lanthanum and cerium);(2) solvent extraction by applying saponified P507-kerosene system;(3) stripping. Experiments to assure optimal operating conditions were conducted. Results indicated that RE metals could be recovered effectively from spent catalyst with saponified P507-kerosene-HCl system. At room temperature of 25 oC, 10 g spent catalyst with 110 m L of HCl(1 mol/L) could achieve a leaching efficiency of 85%. For extraction, initial pH value of 3.17, organic/aqueous ratio(O/A ratio) of 2:1 with an extractants’ saponification rate of 20% could obtain 100% efficiency. In the stripping process, 1 mol/L HCl with O/A ratio of 1:1 led to a stripping efficiency of 96%. In the present study, RE metals from spent FCC catalysts were effectively recovered, which avoided wasting a large amount of RE resources. It provides a theoretical support for commercial recycling of RE resources. A process to recover rare earth (RE) metals from spent fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) catalysts by solvent extraction was studied, using saponified 2-ethylhexyl phosphoric acid- 2-ethylhexyl ester (EHEHPA or P507) (2) solvent extraction by applied saponified P507-kerosene system; (3) stripping. Experiments to assure optimal operating conditions were conducted. Results indicated that RE metals could be recovered effectively effectively from spent At room temperature of 25 oC, 10 g of spent catalyst with 110 mL of HCl (1 mol / L) could achieve a leaching efficiency of 85%. For extraction, initial pH value of 3.17 The organic / aqueous ratio (O / A ratio) of 2: 1 with an extractants’ saponification rate of 20% could have been 100% efficiency. In the stripping process, 1 mol / L HCl with O / A ratio of 1: 1 led to a stripping efficiency of 96%. In the present study, RE metals from spent FC It provides a theoretical support for commercial recycling of RE resources.