Rare Earth Elements (REEs) have become indispensable, fueling advancements in renewable energy, defense, telecommunications, and green technologies. Rare earth elements (REEs) are indispensable to modern technologies due to their unique magnetic, catalytic, and luminescent properties [1] where rapid technological growth, coupled with sparse geographic concentration in specific rock types and environment damaging extraction methods, raises serious concerns about long-term availability and supply chain resilience. Consequently, the development of sustainable, efficient, and environmentally responsible extraction routes has become a global research priority [2, 3].
Although REEs are not particularly rare in abundance, they rarely occur in high concentrations, making traditional mining techniques inefficient. Source rocks of REEs are diverse in their mineralogy and geological origin, but they all play a crucial role in providing the raw materials needed for the production of REEs. As demand for REEs continues to grow, understanding the distribution and characteristics of these source rocks will be vital for ensuring a stable supply of these critical elements.
The development of sustainable, efficient, and environmentally responsible extraction routes has become a global research priority. Efficient recovery of REEs from natural host rock resources remains a major challenge due to the limitations of conventional acid-leaching processes. Traditional extraction and separation routes often rely on intensive acid leaching, solvent extraction, and roasting steps, which consume large amounts of reagents and generate hazardous waste and radioactive residues. These challenges have driven a growing interest in developing sustainable, low-chemical, and circular approaches for REE recovery. Current research focuses on alternatives such as bio-leaching, organic and deep eutectic solvents, adsorption-based separations, and process integration to minimize environmental impact while improving recovery efficiency.
References
- M. Goodenough, F. Wall, D. Merriman, The rare earth elements: demand, global resources, and challenges for resourcing future generations, Nat. Resour. Res. 27 (2018) 201–216.
- Wu, Y. Chen, Y. Wang, Y. Xu, Z. Lin, X. Liang, H. Cheng, Review of rare earth element (REE) adsorption on and desorption from clay minerals: Application to formation and mining of ion-adsorption REE deposits, Ore Geol. Rev. 157 (2023) 105446.
- Ding, G. Azimi, Impact of particle size and associated minerals on rare earth desorption and incorporation mechanisms in a South American ion-adsorption clay, Sci. Rep. 14 (2024) 16216.