Biotechnology Processes for Scalable, Selective Rare Earth Element Recovery

Abstract

Biorecovery of rare earth elements (REE) from wastes and ores is achieved by bacteria using biogenic phosphates. One approach uses an enzyme that biomineralises REE phosphate crystals into the extracellular polymeric matrix (EPM). The enzyme, co-localised in the EPM, provides a continuous phosphate feed into biomineralisation. The bacteria can be immobilised in a column, allowing continuous metal removal. Metals biocrystallise at different rates. By choosing suitable conditions and column flow rates selective recovery of REE against uranium and thorium can potentially overcome a bottleneck in recovery of REE from mine tailings and ore leachates co-contaminated with these radionuclides. Another approach to REE recovery first lays down calcium phosphate as hydroxyapatite (Bio-HA) using the enzymatic process. Bio-HA then captures REE, loading REE of up to 84% of the HA-mass. REE 3+ first localises at the grain boundaries of the small bio-crystallites and then substitutes for Ca 2+ stoichiometrically within the HA. After REE capture the bio-HA/REE hybrid can be separated magnetically. A wider concept: using a 'priming' deposit of one mineral to facilitate the capture of REEs, has been shown, potentially providing a basis for selective REE recovery which would provide advantages over the > 100 steps currently used in commercial REE refining.

Wyzwania i możliwości odzysku w gospodarce odpadami podczas procesów wydobycia i wzbogacania rud zawierających uran i tor – przegląd

“…Captured REEs can be magnetically separated. This approach shows potential for the selective recovery of REEs, including Th, from mining tailings and from ore leach tailings contaminated with radionuclides (Macaskie et al 2017). Th can be removed from wastewater by chemical precipitation, which involves adding a chemical reagent to the wastewater to form a solid precipitate that can be separated from the liquid phase (kaynar et al 2023).…”