Efficient Recovery Of Rare Earth Elements Research Articles

Recovery of Rare Earth Elements from Ion-Adsorption Deposits Using Electrokinetic Technology: The Soil Conductivity Mechanism Study

Rare earth elements (REEs) are essential raw materials for modern industries but mining them has caused severe environmental issues, particularly the recovery of heavy REEs (HREEs) from ion-adsorption deposits (IADs). Very recently, an emerging technology, electrokinetic mining (EKM), has been proposed for the green and efficient recovery of REEs from IADs. However, the conduction mechanism of the weathering crust soil, which is also a prerequisite for EKM, remains unclear, making the EKM process unpredictable. Here, we systematically investigated the conductivity of weathering crust soil in the presence of light REEs (LREEs, i.e., La3+ and Sm3+) and HREEs (Er3+ and Y3+), respectively. Results suggested that the voltage was dynamically and spatially redistributed by the movement of REEs and water during EKM, and the conventional assumption of the linear distribution of voltage leads to an inaccurate description of soil voltage. We proposed an improved Archie’s equation by coupling the mechanisms of liquid phase and solid-liquid interface conduction, which can predict soil conductivity more precisely. Moreover, the extended Archie’s equation is able to recalculate the voltage distribution at distinct times and spaces well during EKM. More importantly, the water content in field-scale weathered-crust soils can be retrieved by the newly proposed Archie’s equation, which helps optimize the leaching wells and improve the recovery rate of REE. This study focuses on the conduction mechanism of weathering crust soil, which provides a theoretical basis for better use of the EKM technology and promotes mining efficiency fundamentally.

Polymeric Materials for Rare Earth Elements Recovery.

Rare earth elements (REEs) play indispensable roles in various advanced technologies, from electronics to renewable energy. However, the heavy global REEs supply and the environmental impact of traditional mining practices have spurred the search for sustainable REEs recovery methods. Polymeric materials have emerged as promising candidates due to their selective adsorption capabilities, versatility, scalability, and regenerability. This paper provides an extensive overview of polymeric materials for REEs recovery, including polymeric resins, polymer membranes, cross-linked polymer networks, and nanocomposite polymers. Each category is examined for its advantages, challenges, and notable developments. Furthermore, we highlight the potential of polymeric materials to contribute to eco-friendly and efficient REEs recovery, while acknowledging the need to address challenges such as selectivity, stability, and scalability. The research in this field actively seeks innovative solutions to reduce reliance on hazardous chemicals and minimize waste generation. As the demand for REEs continues to rise, the development of sustainable REEs recovery technologies remains a critical area of investigation, with the collaboration between researchers and industry experts driving progress in this evolving field.

A novel, clean, closed-loop process for directional recovery of rare earth elements, fluorine, and phosphorus from mixed rare earth concentrate

The recycling of Bayan Obo rare earth has attracted widespread attention due to its potential environmental risks and the importance of key metal supplies. As a traditional technology, concentrated sulfuric acid roasting has led to the continuous deterioration of the local environment because of severe fluoride and sulfur dioxide emissions. Although it is difficult to achieve efficient recovery of rare-earth elements and their associated resources with this process, it is possible to eliminate pollutant emissions, and achieve a high recovery ratio of rare-earth elements using this technique. Fluorine and phosphorus from wastewater have been well controlled. Here, a novel, clean, closed-loop process is introduced to treat rare earth concentrates, which not only does not pollute the environment, but also generate more economic values. Through the oxidative roasting-hydrochloric acid leaching step, more than 98% of fluorine and phosphorus can be stably retained in the leaching residue. The leaching residue is then converted into rare earth hydroxides, sodium fluoride, and sodium phosphate in the sodium hydroxide sub-molten salt system. Moreover, most of the concentrated lye can be reused in the sub-molten salt decomposition step by filtration. The washed filter residue is then dissolved in the hydrochloric acid leachate to produce a rare earth chloride solution. Sodium fluoride and sodium phosphate can be recovered in the washing solution. In summary, this process can realize the internal circulation of concentrated lye and water while producing a rare earth chloride solution, sodium fluoride, and sodium phosphate. Finally, the rare earth concentration in the rare earth chloride solution reached 280 g L−1, 96.40% of fluorine was converted to sodium fluoride, and 99.82% of phosphorus was converted to sodium phosphate from the washing liquid. An environmentally-friendly, easy-to-implement strategy is proposed: the entire recycling process is highly selective, closed-loop and simplified, and can be used as an alternative method to recover different resources from the current Bayan Obo concentrate.

Nd(III) and Gd(III) Sorption on Mesoporous Amine-Functionalized Polymer/SiO2 Composite.

The strong demand for rare-earth elements (REEs) is driven by their wide use in high-tech devices. New processes have to be developed for valorizing low-grade ores or alternative metal sources (such as wastes and spent materials). The present work contributed to the development of new sorbents for the recovery of rare earth ions from aqueous solutions. Functionalized mesoporous silica composite was synthesized by grafting diethylenetriamine onto composite support. The physical and chemical properties of the new sorbent are characterized using BET, TGA, elemental analysis, titration, FTIR, and XPS spectroscopies to identify the reactive groups (amine groups: 3.25 mmol N g−1 and 3.41 by EA and titration, respectively) and their mode of interaction with Nd(III) and Gd(III). The sorption capacity at the optimum pH (i.e., 4) reaches 0.9 mmol Nd g−1 and 1 mmol Gd g−1. Uptake kinetics are modeled by the pseudo-first-order rate equation (equilibrium time: 30–40 min). At pH close to 4–5, the sorbent shows high selectivity for rare-earth elements against alkali-earth elements. This selectivity is confirmed by the efficient recovery of REEs from acidic leachates of gibbsite ore. After elution (using 0.5 M HCl solutions), selective precipitation (using oxalate solutions), and calcination, pure rare earth oxides were obtained. The sorbent shows promising perspective due to its high and fast sorption properties for REEs, good recycling, and high selectivity.

Characteristics of Some Selected Methods of Rare Earth Elements Recovery from Coal Fly Ashes

The article covers the issues related to the characteristics, application, and some methods of rare earth elements (REEs) recovery from coal fly ashes. REEs are elements with growing demand and a very wide range of application, especially when it comes to modern technologies. The conducted analysis and price forecast proved the existing upward tendency, and this confirmed the need to search for new REE sources, among industrial waste (proecological effect). The development of the REE recovery technology would involve solving several problems related to REE speciation, optimization of factors controlling their extractivity and selection of the REE separation method from obtained extraction solutions with a very extreme pH and complicated composition. The paper presented advantages and disadvantages of usually used methods of REE separation from coal fly ashes, like physical and acid–base leaching. It was also presented alternative REE recovery techniques in the form of membrane and biological methods and based on ion liquids (ILs) or chelating agents. The directions of further modifications, which will allow the efficient REE recovery were presented. The aim of this article was to propose specific solutions based on the creation of appropriate multistage method of REE recovery. It will be a combination of magnetic and size separation, acid–base leaching (including roasting in justified cases), removal of matrix elements with ILs (Al, Si, and Fe), and finally REE membrane separation, allowing one to obtain the appropriate process efficiency.

Rationally designed dipicolinate-functionalized silica for highly efficient recovery of rare-earth elements from e-waste

Composition of the immobilized layer plays a crucial role in metal adsorption properties of complexing organo-mineral materials. Ignoring the specific features of chemical reactions on solid surface can lead to a significant deterioration in the target properties of the resulted materials. In this research we demonstrated that rationally designed surface-assembling synthesis of organo-silica with covalently immobilized fragments of dipicolinic acid (DPA) resulted in the adsorbent that is capable quantitively recover almost all Rare Earth elements (REEs) from multielement solution with pH > 1.7. In ten consecutive adsorption/desorption cycles no noticeable loss of its efficiency was found, with a mean value of REEs recovery larger than 97%. The adsorbent has been used to recover REEs from model solutions (22 metal ions in 0.5 mol L−1 NaCl) and real leaching solution of waste of fluorescent lamps. It was demonstrated that even 3200-fold excess of Fe and Cu ions only slightly reduces REEs recovery. The adsorbent is capable to recover above 80% of all (except La) REEs from acidic leaching solution from fluorescent lamps with enrichment factors above 600. After adsorption of Eu3+ and Tb3+, the resulting materials exhibited strong red and green luminescence, respectively, indicating chelating mechanism of REEs adsorption on SiO2-DPA.

3D-agaric like core-shell architecture UiO-66-NH2@ZIF-8 with robust stability for highly efficient REEs recovery

With the ever-increasing of Rare Earth Elements (REEs) in various high technology applications, efficient recovery of REEs from liquid sources is becoming significantly important. In this work, ZIF-8 and UiO-66-NH2 (U6N) are combined to form a 3D-agaric like core-shell structure hybrid material (U6N@ZIF-8-20), which exhibits good performance in REEs extraction. Due to the abundant adsorption sites of ZIF-8 and the excellent water stability of UiO-66-NH2, 3D-agaric like U6N@ZIF-8-20 showed quick adsorption rate (only 10 min to reach equilibrium), high adsorption capacity and selectivity for REEs from water compared to other reported adsorbents. Maximum adsorption capacities of U6N@ZIF-8-20 for neodymium (Nd(III)), europium (Eu(III)), gadolinium (Gd(III)) and erbium (Er(III)) achieved to 249.90, 295.28, 316.22 and 340.95 mg g-1, respectively. U6N@ZIF-8-20 has superiority in selective adsorption of REEs from Cd(II), Zn(II), Cu(II), Mn(II) and Co(II) coexistence solution. The order of adsorption capacities for REEs is in agreement with the order of their electronegativity, ionic radius and charge density. Moreover, U6N@ZIF-8-20 showed better water stability and recyclability than single MOF. Overall, MOF@MOF hybrid material has efficiency in REEs separation from solutions, and has great advantage in the application of wastewater treating.

Rare Earth Occurrences in Streams of Processing a Phosphate Ore

Rare earth elements (REEs) are defined as lanthanides with Y and Sc. Rare earth occurrences including the REE-bearing phases and their distributions, measured by rare earth oxides (REOs), in the streams of processing a phosphate ore were determined by using MLA, the mineral liberation analysis and EPMA, the electron probe microanalysis. The process includes an apatite ore beneficiation by flotation and further processing of the beneficiation concentrate with sulfuric acid. Twenty-six, sixty-two and twelve percent of the total REOs (TREO) contents from the ore end up in the products of beneficiation tailings, phosphogypsum (PG) and phosphoric acid, respectively. Apatite, allanite, monazite and pyrochlore are identified as REE-bearing minerals in the beneficiation process. In the beneficiation tailings, the REEs are mainly distributed in monazite (10.3% TREO), apatite (5.9% TREO), allanite (5.4% TREO) and pyrochlore (4.3% TREO). Gypsum, monazite, apatite and other REE-bearing phases were found to host REEs in the PG and the REEs distributions are 44.9% TREO in gypsum, 15.8% TREO in monazite, 0.6% TREO in apatite and 0.6% TREO in other REE-bearing phases. Perspectives on the efficient recovery of REEs from the beneficiation tailings and the PG are discussed.

Rare Earth Elements Recovery and Sulphate Removal from Phosphogypsum Waste Waters with Sulphate Reducing Bacteria

Phosphogypsum waste, originating from phosphoric acid production from apatite ores, is well known for its high production rate and possible release of sulphate-rich seepage waters. In addition to negative environmental impacts, phosphogypsum waste heaps are also remarkable secondary sources of Rare Earth Elements (REE); in the phosphoric acid production process a majority of REE, occurring in apatite, are precipitated to the phosphogypsum waste. Therefore, a method treating both sulphate-rich waters and recovering REE from phosphogypsum heaps and seepage waters would offer both economic and environmental benefits. In this ongoing study, seepage waters from a phosphogypsum heap are treated with Sulphate Reducing Bacteria (SRB) and ethanol as a substrate. Sulphate is first reduced to hydrogen sulphide, which then precipitates REE as sulphides. The main challenge, low concentration of REE in seepage waters (e.g. 2.87 μg/l La, 5.13 μg/l Ce, 0.67 μg/l Y and 3.32 μg/l Nd), is overcome by utilizing continuous mode, semi-passive and cost effective column apparatus, requiring no agitation and performing both sulphate reduction and REE recovery in a single reactor. The SRB method results in a sulphate reduction rate of 40-80 % (from app. 1400 mg/l to 276-844 mg/l sulphate in the effluent) and efficient REE recovery from seepage water. The concentrate obtained from the column consists of a mixture of anaerobic sludge and precipitated REE, with respective REE concentrations of 202 mg/kg La, 477 mg/kg Ce, 49 mg/kg Y and 295 mg/kg Nd.

Recovery of rare earth elements from waste fluorescent phosphors: Na2O2 molten salt decomposition

In this paper, an efficient recovery of rare earth elements from waste fluorescent phosphors has been reported and the novel process of alkali fusion and acid leaching has been proposed. The experimental results have shown that the key for efficient recycling is the complete dissolution of waste fluorescent phosphors. The Na2O2-to-waste mass ratio, calcination temperature and reactive time play considerable roles in rare earth elements extraction during the alkali fusion process. The optimal conditions in terms of temperature, time and Na2O2-to-waste mass ratio are 650 °C, 15 min and 2:1, respectively, under which more than 99.5 % rare earth elements are extracted. The possible reaction mechanism of alkali fusion has been proposed.