A team of researchers successfully extracted precious rare earth elements from waste.
The process involves heating electronic waste, ash, and other materials along with carbon, which then become rare earth elements or REE. These substances have magnetic and electronic properties useful in producing high-tech products like cellular phones, computer hard drives, electric vehicles, and flat-screen TVs.
This new extraction method is more environment-friendly since it does not use strong acids utilized in traditional extraction processes. It also recycles waste instead of unearthing minerals as a source of rare elements. The technology is also less time-consuming making it even more efficient in getting a higher yield of earth elements.
Will this new technology end our dependence on environmentally detrimental mining or foreign sources for rare earth elements? Please leave a comment below.