A new method for removing neodymium from electronic waste using cellulose has been developed, which may lead to more efficient recycling.

Clean technologies such as electric vehicles and wind turbines require neodymium, and the demand for it has increased by about 400% in the past 20 years. However, mining this rare earth element can have harmful effects on the environment and requires the recovery of more Nd from electronic waste. Its recovery is also accompanied by a series of challenges. The main method of commercial recycling is solvent extraction, but this method has low selectivity, high cost, and is not sustainable due to the use of toxic organic solvents.

Researchers at Pennsylvania State University in the United States have developed a new method of using nanotechnology to recover neodymium from plant cellulose. Cellulose is inexpensive, renewable, and abundant. Previous work has been done on cellulose based adsorbents, but these are all inefficient.

The research team at Pennsylvania State University has developed a new biotechnology called Anionic Hair Nanocellulose (AHNC), where "hair" refers to cellulose chains attached to the end of nanoparticles. The hairy layer of nanoparticles carries a negative charge, thereby attracting positively charged Nd ions. This separates Nd from other ions in the aqueous medium, such as iron ions, calcium ions, and sodium ions, and aggregates enough Nd particles for effective recovery.

Amir Sheikhi, Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering at Pennsylvania State University, said, "This process is effective in terms of removal capacity, selectivity, and speed. It can separate neodymium by selectively removing elements from some test impurities within seconds."

This process can also be used to extract neodymium from industrial wastewater, mining tailings, and unused permanent magnets.

"This contribution to rare earth recycling will have strategic and economically feasible impacts on several industries," Sheikhi said. "The more neodymium we recycle, the more electric and hybrid vehicles and wind turbines we can manufacture, thereby reducing the pressure on the environment."

Sheikhi added that the team is currently exploring different approaches to developing continuous or semi intermittent adsorption systems, which will pave the way for expanding the process.