Final Report Summary - REESEP (Improvement of Technical Capabilities for Research and Development (R&D) Related to Separation, Determination and Preliminary Production of different Rare Earth Elements
Improvement of technical capabilities for research and development related to separation, determination and preliminary production of different rare earth elements (REESEP)
While rare earth elements (REE) are an important in the development major of sustainable green technologies like wind power and electric vehicles, their supply, which is practically monopolised in China, is not expected to meet the demand in the near future. Paradoxically, production of REEs is in many cases unsustainable, causing major environmental damage. Consequently, industrialised nations (including European Union (EU)) have defined REEs as strategic resources and formulated policies for their sustainable supply and production. Egypt has vast REE stockpiles in its black sand deposits and could become an important source of REEs to EU in the future.
In this context, basic research was conducted in REESEP to study ion exchange technologies for sustainable REE separation. Basic research was first carried out using inorganic ion exchange materials, which have existing applications in nuclear industry. Metal antimonate materials showed promise in the separation of REEs from heavy metals, which is an important step in the over-all extraction process. Similarly promising results were obtained with hybrid silica-based materials. At the end, very promising results were obtained with organic ion exchange resins for individual REE separation utilising REE-selective organic ligands. The results can be utilised in Egyptian on-programme to extract REEs form its national resources (programme underway at pilot-scale).
The project exposed Egypt to European research of REEs with a successful application to a European cooperation in science and technology (EU COST) action (CM1006 EUFEN), agreement on Finnish-Egyptian researcher exchange and a joint research proposal to the Academy of Finland. When successful, these actions will facilitate further EU-Egypt cooperation in the field.
While rare earth elements (REE) are an important in the development major of sustainable green technologies like wind power and electric vehicles, their supply, which is practically monopolised in China, is not expected to meet the demand in the near future. Paradoxically, production of REEs is in many cases unsustainable, causing major environmental damage. Consequently, industrialised nations (including European Union (EU)) have defined REEs as strategic resources and formulated policies for their sustainable supply and production. Egypt has vast REE stockpiles in its black sand deposits and could become an important source of REEs to EU in the future.
In this context, basic research was conducted in REESEP to study ion exchange technologies for sustainable REE separation. Basic research was first carried out using inorganic ion exchange materials, which have existing applications in nuclear industry. Metal antimonate materials showed promise in the separation of REEs from heavy metals, which is an important step in the over-all extraction process. Similarly promising results were obtained with hybrid silica-based materials. At the end, very promising results were obtained with organic ion exchange resins for individual REE separation utilising REE-selective organic ligands. The results can be utilised in Egyptian on-programme to extract REEs form its national resources (programme underway at pilot-scale).
The project exposed Egypt to European research of REEs with a successful application to a European cooperation in science and technology (EU COST) action (CM1006 EUFEN), agreement on Finnish-Egyptian researcher exchange and a joint research proposal to the Academy of Finland. When successful, these actions will facilitate further EU-Egypt cooperation in the field.