Research finds coal waste as a viable rare earth source
The date of：
2023-11-22
viewed:
0
Coal may be a viable source of rare earth elements, according to a study, critical in the manufacturing of high-demand products like batteries and solar panels. The Clean Coal Technology research group at the University of Witwatersand, Johannesburg conducted research focussing on the chemical composition of coal. Using coal samples from Waterberg, the research group found that the total rare earths content in discard and standard product from the coal mine was above 225 parts per million (ppm). This concentration is well above the cut-off grade of 130ppm for extracting rare earths in coal.As such, the coal and discard could now be reprocessed as raw materials to be used in the production of various clean technologies.Meanwhile, heavy rare earths were richer in run-of-mine samples and light rare earths were dominant in high mineral content discard coal sample. Demand for new sources of rare earthsGovernments and researchers worldwide are investigating new sources of rare earth minerals, including coal ash, acid mine drainage and other mine waste. This is because coal deposits are more widespread and accessible than many mineral deposits, making the process of extracting rare earths from coal relatively simple and inexpensive compared to extracting the elements from mineral ores.
Hot News
/
Related to recommend
2024
-
12
-
30
Click on the number of times:
0
source:phys.orgA research team has developed high-performance diamond/ε-Ga2O3 heterojunction pn diodes based on ultrawide bandgap semiconductors, achieving breakdown voltages exceeding 3 kV. This work...
2024
-
12
-
27
Click on the number of times:
0
Dinuclear Rare-Earth β-Diketiminates with Bridging 3,5-Ditert-butyl-catecholates: Synthesis, Structure, and Single-Molecule Magnet Properties source:ACS PublicationsAbstract ImageThe dinuc...
2024
-
12
-
26
Click on the number of times:
0
source:National University of SingaporeScientists from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed a highly effective and general molecular design that enables an enhancement in radiolum...
2024
-
12
-
24
Click on the number of times:
0
source:sciencedirectAbstractRare earth elements (REEs) encompass 15 lanthanides and play a crucial role in modern technology. Despite their essential uses, REEs are emerging environmental contaminants...