A green and efficient technology to recover rare earth elements from weathering crusts

Wang, Gaofeng; Xu, Jie; Ran, Lingyu; Zhu, R. S.; Ling, Bowen; Liang, Xiaoliang; Kang, Shichang; Wang, Yuanyuan; Wei, Jianlu; Ma, Longlong; Zhuang, Yan-Feng; Zhu, Jianxi; He, Hongping

doi:10.1038/s41893-022-00989-3

Cited by 70 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…89 As rare earth metals required by PEM are concentrated in specific countries, the supply risk of these metals in some regions should be carefully assessed before promoting this technology. Toxicity and other environmental impacts related to mining and metal production can also be reduced through improved technologies and better management, 113,114 which has not been considered here. Further assessments of specific H 2 production technologies and related environmental impacts should be conducted to anticipate and minimize undesired trade-offs locally and at the global scale.…”

Section: Environmental Trade-offs Should Be Further Examined and Mini...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Future environmental impacts of global hydrogen production

Wei,

Sacchi,

Tukker

et al. 2024

Energy Environ. Sci.

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Section: Environmental Trade-offs Should Be Further Examined and Mini...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Future environmental impacts of global hydrogen production

Wei,

Sacchi,

Tukker

et al. 2024

Energy Environ. Sci.

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“…The heavy use of organic extractants and acid leads to both heavy energy and environmental burdens (7,8). Considerable efforts have been dedicated to exploring REE separations with both higher performances and lower negative environmental impact (6,7,(9)(10)(11)(12)(13). Leading efforts have been devoted to higher-performing chelating agents, including both traditional organic extractants and recently emerging lanthanide binding peptides or proteins (14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lanthanide transport in angstrom-scale MoS ₂ -based two-dimensional channels

Wang,

Xiong,

Wang

et al. 2024

Sci. Adv.

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Rare earth elements (REEs), critical to modern industry, are difficult to separate and purify, given their similar physicochemical properties originating from the lanthanide contraction. Here, we systematically study the transport of lanthanide ions (Ln 3+ ) in artificially confined angstrom-scale two-dimensional channels using MoS 2 -based building blocks in an aqueous environment. The results show that the uptake and permeability of Ln 3+ assume a well-defined volcano shape peaked at Sm 3+ . This transport behavior is rooted from the tradeoff between the barrier for dehydration and the strength of interactions of lanthanide ions in the confinement channels, reminiscent of the Sabatier principle. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal that Sm 3+ , with moderate hydration free energy and intermediate affinity for channel interaction, exhibit the smallest dehydration degree, consequently resulting in the highest permeability. Our work not only highlights the distinct mass transport properties under extreme confinement but also demonstrates the potential of dialing confinement dimension and chemistry for greener REEs separation.

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“…Surface modification involves adding surfactants to the leaching solution to alter properties like mineral surface wettability [26]. External field enhancement, like electrokinetic mining technology, could potentially increase the directed migration rate of the leaching solution [27]. The current understanding of rare earth leaching and solution percolation in IRE-ores, based largely on experimental observations, is continuing to evolve.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of Clay Particle Interactions on Leaching Percolation in Ion-Adsorption-Type Rare Earth Ores

Wang,

Li,

et al. 2024

Minerals

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Ion-adsorption-type rare earth ores (IRE-ores) are a vital source of rare earth elements globally. The percolation properties of the ore body significantly determine the ease of rare earth extraction using in situ leaching processes. This paper investigates the interactions among clay particles in ion-adsorption-type rare earth ores within aqueous solutions, utilizing methods such as mineral particle aggregation and settling and acid–base adsorption on mineral surfaces. Based on these analyses, this paper elucidates the influence of solution properties on the percolation process of ion-type rare earth ores during leaching. The results indicate that the electrostatic attraction between minerals in aqueous solutions is pronounced, enhancing the interaction and resulting in a notable instability of the aggregates. The aggregation of minerals impacts the viscous effect of water bound to the mineral surface on the solution, thereby affecting the percolation rate. Extremely low concentrations of SO42− and CH3COO− can act as surface modifiers, reducing the electrostatic attraction between particles and consequently increasing the leaching percolation rate.

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A green and efficient technology to recover rare earth elements from weathering crusts

Cited by 70 publications

References 49 publications

Future environmental impacts of global hydrogen production

Future environmental impacts of global hydrogen production

Lanthanide transport in angstrom-scale MoS ₂ -based two-dimensional channels

Influence of Clay Particle Interactions on Leaching Percolation in Ion-Adsorption-Type Rare Earth Ores

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A green and efficient technology to recover rare earth elements from weathering crusts

Cited by 70 publications

References 49 publications

Future environmental impacts of global hydrogen production

Future environmental impacts of global hydrogen production

Lanthanide transport in angstrom-scale MoS 2 -based two-dimensional channels

Influence of Clay Particle Interactions on Leaching Percolation in Ion-Adsorption-Type Rare Earth Ores

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Lanthanide transport in angstrom-scale MoS ₂ -based two-dimensional channels