{"id":32203,"date":"2023-05-01T09:00:49","date_gmt":"2023-05-01T08:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/?p=32203"},"modified":"2023-05-12T13:35:55","modified_gmt":"2023-05-12T12:35:55","slug":"the-potential-of-biosorption-based-ree-recovery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/the-potential-of-biosorption-based-ree-recovery\/32203\/","title":{"rendered":"The potential of biosorption-based REE recovery"},"content":{"rendered":"
Researchers of the Technical University of Munich and the University of Applied Sciences highlight the potential of biosorption as a promising eco-friendly alternative to conventional REE recovery methods.<\/h2>\n
The expression rare earth elements (REEs) refers to a group of 17 elements, which include scandium, yttrium, lanthanum and 14 additional elements of the lanthanide series. In this context, the term \u2018rare\u2019 is misleading as it does not relate to geological scarcity but results from the occurrence of REEs as a mixture of elements in mineral deposits in very low concentrations.<\/p>\n
For many applications in high-tech sectors, such as computers, electric vehicles, chemical catalysts, and renewable energy, REEs are vital. They have very similar chemical properties making the purification of REEs on an industrial scale difficult and energy-intensive. Nevertheless, due to their unique magnetic, luminescent, and electrical characteristics, they are of significant interest to today\u2019s economy.<\/p>\n
The current global rare earth landscape<\/h3>\n
Despite their broad distribution, only a few deposits have adequately high concentrations to support commercially viable production. As a consequence of their low concentration in initial raw materials and the subsequent complex and energy-intensive purification, REE production is unprofitable in a stand-alone mining operation. Hence, REEs are typically produced as a co-product or by-product of other materials. For example, a significant portion of the world\u2019s REEs is derived from by-products of iron mining in the Bayan Obo mine located in China.<\/p>\n
In the past, China was the most important exporter of REEs for many years. The price of REEs increased dramatically after China placed export limits on the minerals in 2010, thereby making it apparent that these elements are vital for numerous key industries. As a consequence, many countries have been working to establish their own REE production in an attempt to gain economic and political independence. Today, China controls 60 to 70% of the global annual REE production<\/a>, which was estimated at 300,000 metric tonnes in 2022.<\/p>\n