Research finds ways to extract metals needed for modern technology
A new study explores new processes to reduce the negative environmental impact of coal mine wastewater and extract rare earth elements (valuable minerals needed to manufacture many high-tech devices) from it.
“Rare earth elements like yttrium, for example, are essential components of the electronics, computers, and other gadgets we use every day,” said co-author of the study and associate professor of civil environmental and geodesic engineering. One Jeff Bielicki said: John Glenn College of Public Affairs at Ohio State University.
Research published in journals environmental engineeringThe team evaluated a patented experimental process that was shown to successfully purify coal mine wastewater while producing rare earth elements in samples from various rivers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. increase.
“One of the things that surprised me was how well our process was able to purify the water,” said Biericki. “From an environmental point of view, the main advantage of this work is the ability to successfully contain and neutralize a great deal of pollution.”
When water leaks from an abandoned coal mine, the subsequent drainage pollutes thousands of miles of natural waterways, turning them orange and can wreak havoc on ecosystems.
Rare earth elements are increasingly in demand from coal mine effluents, but viable natural deposits of these minerals have been found in only a few regions of the world. That is, only a few countries can provide them.
For example, many Western countries, including the United States, depend on China for about 80% of these critical resources. As a result, many government agencies are trying to reduce this dependence by establishing domestic supplies of rare earth elements. Especially since removing rare earth elements from the ground can cause a lot of harm to the environment and society, says Bielicki.
“By sourcing these materials from other countries, we cannot really monitor the environmental impact of mining and producing the materials,” he said. One of the reasons is that we can put regulations in place to better protect the environment and people in our communities.”
Currently, coal mine wastewater is treated using active treatment systems that use chemicals to clean the water, or passive treatment systems that often rely on bacterial activity and geochemical methods.
According to this research, passive approaches tend to require fewer resources and have less environmental impact. The Ohio State University team used a passive system that uses a combination of alkaline industrial by-products, including materials such as water treatment plant sludge, to neutralize coal wastewater and capture rare earth elements.
“It’s designed to allow the natural seepage of coal mine wastewater to penetrate the material, capture it, and extract it,” said Bielicki. The average time it takes to remove waste water often varies. Because the process is highly dependent on the rate at which water flows out of the mine.
The process detected a variety of metals used in modern technology, including terbium, neodymium and europium, which play key roles in phone displays, batteries, microphones, speakers and other components.
The process is currently more expensive than current market prices for rare metals, but further advances will bring prices down, Bielicki said.
Bielicki said their research could inform future policies on coal waste disposal and help the public understand the environmental impacts of mining beyond the typical costs, such as impacts on human health and ecosystems as a whole. I hope that you will find it useful in investigating the
“Moving away from coal and other fossil fuels is beneficial in a number of different ways because we are doing nothing to harm the environment, but these are not just costs, but how they address the bigger issue. “Our research is an important step in addressing the legacy of these environmental and social impacts.”
Original: Converting coal mine wastewater into rare mineral resources
Than: Ohio State University
