Researchers have succeeded in selectively recovering trace rare earth elements in synthetic seawater and environmental water, such as hot spring water, using baker’s yeast with a phosphate group added.
Newswise —
The projected surge in demand for precious metals and rare earths is set to persist, driven by growing trends. Owing to restricted production regions, there is a rising need for recycling from precision equipment, as well as extraction from seawater and hot spring water, to ensure a reliable supply chain.
Researchers at the Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Engineering, led by Professor Masayuki Azuma and Associate Professor Yoshihiro Ojima, have achieved a significant breakthrough by developing an adsorbent material that can efficiently recover rare earth elements (REEs). This innovative method utilizes environmentally-friendly and cost-effective ingredients such as baker's yeast and trimetaphosphate, a common food additive, to selectively extract REEs, offering a promising solution for sustainable and economical REE recovery.
The research team carried out extensive experiments using synthetic seawater and hot spring water to assess the performance of the newly developed adsorbent material in real-world conditions. Encouragingly, the results confirmed that the material demonstrated remarkable selectivity in adsorbing rare earth elements (REEs) even in hot spring water with REE concentrations ranging from several to several tens of parts per billion (ppb or μg/L), despite the high presence of other components. This underscores the material's potential for effective REE recovery even in challenging environments with complex compositions.
Professor Azuma expressed optimism about the potential impact of this breakthrough technology, stating, "This new advancement is anticipated to play a significant role in achieving a society that promotes the circulation of metal resources and prioritizes environmental purification for a safer future." He further added that the team's future plans involve conducting experiments on various environmental water samples, with the ultimate goal of establishing a scalable system capable of efficiently treating large volumes of metal resources through continuous operation. This highlights the team's commitment to further research and development in pursuit of sustainable and effective metal resource management.
The results were published in the Environmental Technology & Innovation.
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Osaka Metropolitan University is a new public university established in April 2022, formed by merger between Osaka City University and Osaka Prefecture University. For more research news visit https://www.omu.ac.jp/en/ or follow @OsakaMetUniv_en and #OMUScience.
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