Industrial-scale sustainable rare earth mining enabled by electrokinetics

Gaofeng Wang, Jianxi Zhu (), Xiaoliang Liang, Bowen Ling, Jie Xu, Yongqiang Yang, Shichang Kang, Wei Tan, Yongjin Xu, Xiaoshan Zou, Lingyu Ran, Jingming Wei and Hongping He
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Gaofeng Wang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Jianxi Zhu: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Xiaoliang Liang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Bowen Ling: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Jie Xu: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Yongqiang Yang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Shichang Kang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Wei Tan: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Yongjin Xu: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Xiaoshan Zou: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Lingyu Ran: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Jingming Wei: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Hongping He: Chinese Academy of Sciences

Nature Sustainability, 2025, vol. 8, issue 2, 182-189

Abstract: Abstract Owing to their irreplaceable role in several essential technologies, rare earth elements (REEs) are critical raw materials for the global economy. However, the supply of REEs raises serious sustainability concerns due to the large environmental footprint of conventional mining processes. We previously proposed an electrokinetic mining (EKM) technique that could enable green and selective extraction of REEs from ores. Here we further develop this technique to industrial scale by addressing challenges related to electrode reliability and flow leakage and evaluate its mining efficiency, environmental footprint and economic performance. Moreover, a voltage gradient barrier strategy based on electroosmosis is developed to facilitate electrokinetic REEs mining. As a result, we successfully achieved a high REE recovery efficiency of 95% on a 5,000-ton REEs ore. A rigorous environmental risk assessment revealed a 95% reduction of ammonia emissions, indicating a notably reduced environmental footprint. A comparative technoeconomic analysis between the conventional and the EKM techniques demonstrates the economic viability of the EKM technique. This work validates a new sustainable path for REEs mining, paving the way to a greener resources supply.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41893-024-01501-9

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