Adsorption-Based Separation and Recovery of Rare Earth Elements

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

Abstract

This chapter examines adsorption-based separation and recovery of rare earth elements (REEs) from aqueous solutions, covering a range of sorbents including ion exchangers, inorganic adsorbents, impregnated adsorbents, and ligand-grafted adsorbents. It discusses the diverse functional groups involved in REE adsorption and their roles in various separation techniques. The review assesses different ion-exchange resins and their efficacy in REE separation, and discusses novel inorganic adsorbents. Adsorbents known as extractant-immobilized materials synthesized by physically immobilizing extractant onto a solid support provide advantage over solvent extraction but suffer from stability issue. Surface-functionalized adsorbents with ligands chemically grafted onto solid support provide better stability and have been extensively researched for REE separation with silica- and carbon-based support being the major solid support for surface functionalization. Innovative approaches include using magnetic nanomaterials for easy magnetic separation and ion-imprinted polymers for enhanced selectivity. Desorption typically involves mineral acids, though chromatographic separation with complexing ligands offers improved selectivity. While some studies have applied these adsorbents to real samples, there’s a lack of examples demonstrating industrial-scale applications, and further research is needed to bridge this gap and advance practical REE-recovery solutions.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationRare Earth Elements
Subtitle of host publicationSustainable Recovery, Processing, and Purification
Publisherwiley
Pages299-376
Number of pages78
ISBN (Electronic)9781119515005
ISBN (Print)9781119515036
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 2024

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Physics and Astronomy
  • General Earth and Planetary Sciences

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