UniSA Researchers Tackling Rare Earths Environmental Impacts

Researchers at the University of South Australia (UniSA) are developing a safer way to extract key rare earths and reduce the environmental impact.

Dr Richmond Asamoah from the Institute for Future Industries at the University of South Australia is developing methods to extract key minerals from downstream ore processing, tailings reprocessing, and wastewater treatment. The project will test two metal recovery processes to extract target metals from low-grade ores, fine minerals, and tailings.

The Institute is also conducting research on technologies to extract minerals and metals from waste batteries and magnets. Both areas are expected to contribute to environmental benefits by eliminating harmful metals that leach into the environment and by reducing the amount of waste going to landfill.

Asamoah said, "Rare earth minerals and battery metals are critical to the world's major and emerging economies, but their supply is unreliable due to geological scarcity, geopolitical issues, and trade policies."

"Accumulated mining waste is becoming an increasingly valuable source of metals and energy, but there is also a significant loss of valuable metals due to the lack of productive and economically viable extraction technologies." He said the project, which is funded by the Australia-India Strategic Research Fund, has the potential to benefit both countries.

Dr. Asamoah said, "We are not only talking about environmental benefits, but also about economic and sustainable technologies that both countries can use to extract rare earths and battery minerals from current mining operations."

Rare earth elements contribute nearly $200 billion to the Indian economy, yet despite having the world's fifth-largest reserves of the key metal, India imports most of its rare earth needs from China. The project of UniSA hopes to enable Australia to export rare earth minerals to India as an alternative to China and give India the ability to establish ecological technologies to extract minerals and metals within its borders.

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