University of Brighton Researchers Explore Better Sourcing of Rare Earth Elements

Researchers at the University of Brighton have been awarded a £97,000 grant to investigate how the procurement of important rare earth elements can be made less damaging to the environment. Researchers from the School of Applied Science and the Centre for Earth Observation Science have been awarded a Natural Environment Research Council Global Partnership Seed Grant to investigate the role of rock weathering in generating rare earth element (REE) deposits.

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Rare earth elements (REEs) are part of a group of elements known as lanthanides, and they are an important component of, for example, high-powered magnets used in renewable energy generation and low-carbon transportation. However, their worldwide availability is limited, and researchers at the University of Brighton will explore more sustainable ways to obtain supplies by studying the presence of REEs in rocks that have been partially decomposed by natural erosion.

Rare earth elements are primarily derived from carbonates, rocks crystallized from carbonate magma that weathering over geological time breaks down and redistributes the most valuable mineral elements, making them easier to extract in ways that reduce the environmental impact of the process - such as simple chemical leaching, rather than more destructive or energy-wasting methods.

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Martin Smith Professor Martin Smith will lead the Brighton research team with Dr. Laura Evenstar. Martin Smith will lead the Brighton research team with Dr Laura Evenstar. They will collaborate with colleagues at the University of Exeter, as well as with international researchers at Wuhan University and Peking University in China and Mendel University in the Czech Republic.

The project, which will run until March 2022, will identify key scientific questions about the processes involved in the formation of rare earth deposits in weathered carbonate rocks and test analytical techniques designed to find the best potential uses for these deposits. The University of Brighton team recently hosted an online workshop on this topic, attracting delegates from five continents. Further workshops are scheduled for January 20 and March 3.

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Associate Dean for Research and Enterprise in the School of Applied Science, Martin. Professor Smith said, "This project provides us with the opportunity to develop links and exchange knowledge with colleagues in China and across the globe to enhance understanding of the geology of the supply of key elements that underpin the decarbonization of the economy."

 

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