China’s new technology achieves ‘unprecedented’ rare earth production speed
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Based on electric fields, the new method has achieved an "unprecedented" rare earth recovery rate of 95 percent, while significantly cutting down on mining time by 70 percent and realizing a 60 percent reduction in electricity consumption.
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"Rare earth elements, particularly heavy rare earth elements, are crucial components driving the swift shift towards a carbon-neutral world," the researchers from the CAS Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry stated in a paper released in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Sustainability on January 6.
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Although rare earth metals play a crucial role in the development of low-carbon technology, their supply is restricted due to the "disastrous" environmental record tied to their extraction.
Mainstream mining methods involve injecting massive amounts of high concentration ammonium-salt solutions into weathered soil crusts to extract associated elements, which can lead to the release of hazardous pollutants, water pollution, and soil degradation.
Restrictions on new mining sites in Southern China since 2018 have further influenced supply.
The research team has already proposed an electrokinetic mining (EKM) method for extracting rare earth elements, and in their latest study, they have effectively implemented it on an industrial scale after conducting experiments at a mining site in Meizhou, South China.
When exposed to an electric field generated by electrodes, the rare earth elements move towards a collection well for recovery. Leaching agents are still being utilized, but in significantly lower quantities.
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No significant changes in groundwater quality around the mining site were observed after a four-month period following the implementation of their technique, indicating that no leakage occurred during the experiment.
has a recovery efficiency of only 40 to 60 percent.
The REE recovery efficiency reached 95.5 percent within 60 days using the EKM method, whereas only about 15 percent was recovered within 60 days with conventional leaching.
This conventional method also results in the simultaneous leaching of other metal elements, leading to additional expenses for purification and separation procedures.
To address concerns of mine environment degradation, the team created a novel plastic-based electrode that lessens corrosion while maintaining high conductivity.
Although new method production of one tonne of ore may incur higher costs than traditional methods, the researchers believe the expense is "roughly" on par, showcasing its economic viability.
"Compared with conventional techniques, the EKM method leads to higher electricity-related costs, but it notably slashes expenses linked to chemical agents," the team stated.
When costs were taken into consideration, the team stated, "the conventional technique's production cost is three times higher than that of the EKM technique".
We conclude that the application of electrokinetics presents extensive possibilities for more environmentally friendly mining and supports the transition towards a lower-carbon economy.
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