This appears to be a
neat trick in which the active molecule sweeps up the rare earths and surely
plenty else besides. Definitely add it
to our quiver of tools for dealing with various wastewater streams.
It is also good to
see manipulation working at this scaling level as well. The payoff
is huge here.
All good stuff and
nice to see the innovation.
New process recycles
rare earth elements from wastewater
October 31, 2013
Rare earth elements are an integral part of
many of today's electronic devices, serving as magnets, catalysts and
superconductors. Unfortunately, these minerals are also ... well, rare, and thus very pricey. Recently,
however, scientists discovered that some of them can be reclaimed from
industrial wastewater, instead of being mined from the earth.
The researchers, from the Chinese Academy of
Sciences, already knew that a nanomaterial known as nano-magnesium hydroxide
(nano-Mg(OH)2) could remove some metals
and dyes from wastewater. It was also known that the rare earth elements in
wastewater tend to be very diluted, and thus quite difficult to remove in a
practical, inexpensive fashion.
After studying the manner in which
nano-Mg(OH)2 works, the scientists proceeded to produce special
flower-shaped nanoparticles of the material. In lab tests that replicated
real-world conditions, these particles were able to capture over 85 percent of
the rare earth elements diluted in water samples. By subsequently adjusting
the pH, it was possible to then separate the captured minerals from the
nano-Mg(OH)2.
“Recycling REEs from wastewater not only saves
rare earth resources and protects the environment, but also brings considerable
economic benefits,” the team stated in a paper on the research, which was
recently published in the journal ACS
Applied Materials and Interfaces.
2 comments:
monatomics of every precious metal can be removed with a very active element which is very common in industry in water. the Ph will match the frequency needed to draw them from any water which has bee soaked in those metals
every monatomic precious metal can be brought into solution using water and one Compound used in industry. the magnesium Hydroxide will pull every monatomic into itsself and with the right freqency and ph be taken out of the solution.
Post a Comment