Rare Earth Element Recovery from Industrial Waste and Secondary Sources
This community focuses on the chemical extraction and separation of rare earth elements from industrial by-products, such as red mud and coal fly ash, as well as from spent magnets and other secondary materials.
The work centers on hydrometallurgical processes, specifically acid leaching, solvent extraction, and adsorption techniques, to isolate specific rare earth ions from complex waste streams. Recurring materials include bauxite residue (red mud), coal fly ash, phosphogypsum, and spent neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) magnets. Methods frequently cited involve the use of sulfuric acid, ionic liquids, and selective recovery strategies to separate heavy rare earths from lighter ones. The research also addresses the environmental management of these waste streams, aiming to convert industrial residues into valuable resource streams while minimizing environmental impact.
The largest share of the community's output is found in neodymium research (4.8% of all neodymium research), followed by lanthanum (4.7%) and cerium (1.7%). Neodymium also contributes the highest paper count within this group, with 2,190 papers.
The community comprises 20,544 papers, publishing most frequently in Hydrometallurgy, Journal of Rare Earths, and Separation and Purification Technology.
Recent work continues to focus on sustainable separation methods, including membrane technologies and biological adsorption, as well as the techno-economic and life-cycle assessment of recovering rare earths from phosphogypsum and urban waste streams.