REE4EU aims to realise a breakthrough in securing the availability of rare earth elements (REE) in Europe. This means providing, for the first time, a cost-effective and efficient REE extraction and direct rare earth alloys (REA) production route from abundantly available in-process and end-of-life REE waste streams. We hope to show that it is possible to maintain the whole value chain during permanent magnet production and electrodes for nickel metal hydride batteries using secondary raw materials, thus avoiding the dependency of importing expensive REE from China. The project might also open up market opportunities to stakeholders seeking sustainable REE recycling technologies.
REE4EU Newsletter | Issue n°4 | March 2017Jokin Hidalgo
REE4EU: Integrated High Temperature Electrolysis
(HTE) and Ion Liquid Extraction (ILE) for a Strong
and Independent European Rare Earth Elements
Supply Chain
Current commercial thermoelectric devices incorporate p-type semiconductor materials that are produced from expensive and rare elements, namely tellurium, which is toxic and predominantly sourced in China. As an alternative approach for the replacement of the tellurium-based p-type semiconductor materials, START proposes a unique technological solution and value-chain based on a “waste material-waste heat to power” methodology. This approach implies the production of sulphide p-type semiconductor materials that will incorporate, amongst others, discarded mining waste sulphides, mainly consisting of the tetrahedrite-tennantite mineral series. Thus, the project concept also includes the stages of material processing, device design and production, testing and validation (Fig. 2). The aim is to produce a TE device reaching TRL6, with the START TE device demonstrated in industrial processes. As a first step, several historical European mining sites have been targeted for collection of tetrahedrite-tennantite minerals, namely: a) Austria: Leogang (Nöckelberg, Barbarastollen) and Schwaz (Sandpocher, Antonihalde, Sigmundhalde), b), Germany: Rammelsberg mine, Bergwerkswohlfahrt mine, c) Portugal: Neves Corvo, Barrigão and Brancanes mines, d) Slovakia: Rožňava mine, e) Spain: La Sierrecilla, El Corriellu, Peña Negra, Torres de Albarracín, Lanteira mines, amongst others. The collected minerals are undergoing processing and will feed the material processing in the upcoming stages.
REE4EU Newsletter | Issue n°4 | March 2017Jokin Hidalgo
REE4EU: Integrated High Temperature Electrolysis
(HTE) and Ion Liquid Extraction (ILE) for a Strong
and Independent European Rare Earth Elements
Supply Chain
Current commercial thermoelectric devices incorporate p-type semiconductor materials that are produced from expensive and rare elements, namely tellurium, which is toxic and predominantly sourced in China. As an alternative approach for the replacement of the tellurium-based p-type semiconductor materials, START proposes a unique technological solution and value-chain based on a “waste material-waste heat to power” methodology. This approach implies the production of sulphide p-type semiconductor materials that will incorporate, amongst others, discarded mining waste sulphides, mainly consisting of the tetrahedrite-tennantite mineral series. Thus, the project concept also includes the stages of material processing, device design and production, testing and validation (Fig. 2). The aim is to produce a TE device reaching TRL6, with the START TE device demonstrated in industrial processes. As a first step, several historical European mining sites have been targeted for collection of tetrahedrite-tennantite minerals, namely: a) Austria: Leogang (Nöckelberg, Barbarastollen) and Schwaz (Sandpocher, Antonihalde, Sigmundhalde), b), Germany: Rammelsberg mine, Bergwerkswohlfahrt mine, c) Portugal: Neves Corvo, Barrigão and Brancanes mines, d) Slovakia: Rožňava mine, e) Spain: La Sierrecilla, El Corriellu, Peña Negra, Torres de Albarracín, Lanteira mines, amongst others. The collected minerals are undergoing processing and will feed the material processing in the upcoming stages.
Graphene Position Paper (E-Nano Newsletter Special Issue)Phantoms Foundation
This E-nano Newsletter special issue contains the final version of the nanoICT position paper on Graphene (one-atom-thick sheet of carbon / in 2010, A.K. Geim
and K. Novoselov, were awarded the Nobel Prize in physics for “groundbreaking experiments regarding the two-dimensional material graphene”) summarising the
current state of progress and open perspectives concerning the emergence of graphene-based technologies and applications. This paper is a mixture between a short review of recent achievements and ingredients for the elaboration of a more specific and detailed roadmap.
2021 hidalgo et al. - development of an innovative process involving the us...Jokin Hidalgo
Development of an innovative process involving the use of
ionic liquids for the recovery and purification of rare earths
from permanent magnets and NIMH batteries
Minerals Intelligence Network for Europe - Minerals4EUMinerals4EU
These slides, presented by Minerals4EU Scientific Coordinator Nikolaos Arvanitidis at the Minerals4EU Final Conference, gives an overview of the project and its achievements.
Minerals Intelligence Network for Europe - Minerals4EUMinerals4EU
These slides, presented by Minerals4EU Scientific Coordinator Nikolaos Arvanitidis at the Minerals4EU Final Conference, gives an overview of the project and its achievements.
RECOVER-REFORM-REUSE
for a Sustainable Future.
Welcome to the first issue of
the biannual Newsletter of the
START project ‘RECOVER-REFORMREUSE
for a Sustainable Future’.
The objective of the Newsletter
is not only to provide a summary of the activities and results of the project but also to address a variety of topics related to these activities, such as those related with raw materials sustainability, sustainable energy ecosystems and business-innovation opportunities. The Newsletter is then organized in different sections, some of them will be repeated in every issue. For this first issue we have five sections: a first section dedicated to a general presentation of the START project where we invite you to meet our robot STARTY that, through a comic story, will introduce the project in an readily comprehensible way; a second section called ‘START CHRONICLES’, with news on the
project’s activities; a third section of ‘TECHNICAL PILLS’, where you will have the opportunity to read two short technical documents, one dedicated to Minerals sustainability and another on what are Thermoelectric materials; the fourth section is the ‘CONSORTIUM TOUR’, in which we will introduce each of the START partners, and in this issue you will have the opportunity to learn more about LNEG and SINTEF; the fifth section is the ‘CONTACTS’ area, where you can find how to get in touch with us and how to follow our social media accounts.
Damien VALET – Responsible of TOTEM Plateform
Workshp: Innovation and regulation in the framework of the energy transition -Funseam/ Tr@nsnet-
https://funseam.com/innovation-and-regulation-in-the-framework-of-the-energy-transition/
Horizon Europe Clean Energy Webinar - Cluster 5 Destination 3 | PitchesKTN
This webinar highlights funding call topics within Cluster 5 / Destination 3 of the Horizon Europe Framework Programme and bring you plenty of networking opportunities.
Graphene Position Paper (E-Nano Newsletter Special Issue)Phantoms Foundation
This E-nano Newsletter special issue contains the final version of the nanoICT position paper on Graphene (one-atom-thick sheet of carbon / in 2010, A.K. Geim
and K. Novoselov, were awarded the Nobel Prize in physics for “groundbreaking experiments regarding the two-dimensional material graphene”) summarising the
current state of progress and open perspectives concerning the emergence of graphene-based technologies and applications. This paper is a mixture between a short review of recent achievements and ingredients for the elaboration of a more specific and detailed roadmap.
2021 hidalgo et al. - development of an innovative process involving the us...Jokin Hidalgo
Development of an innovative process involving the use of
ionic liquids for the recovery and purification of rare earths
from permanent magnets and NIMH batteries
Minerals Intelligence Network for Europe - Minerals4EUMinerals4EU
These slides, presented by Minerals4EU Scientific Coordinator Nikolaos Arvanitidis at the Minerals4EU Final Conference, gives an overview of the project and its achievements.
Minerals Intelligence Network for Europe - Minerals4EUMinerals4EU
These slides, presented by Minerals4EU Scientific Coordinator Nikolaos Arvanitidis at the Minerals4EU Final Conference, gives an overview of the project and its achievements.
RECOVER-REFORM-REUSE
for a Sustainable Future.
Welcome to the first issue of
the biannual Newsletter of the
START project ‘RECOVER-REFORMREUSE
for a Sustainable Future’.
The objective of the Newsletter
is not only to provide a summary of the activities and results of the project but also to address a variety of topics related to these activities, such as those related with raw materials sustainability, sustainable energy ecosystems and business-innovation opportunities. The Newsletter is then organized in different sections, some of them will be repeated in every issue. For this first issue we have five sections: a first section dedicated to a general presentation of the START project where we invite you to meet our robot STARTY that, through a comic story, will introduce the project in an readily comprehensible way; a second section called ‘START CHRONICLES’, with news on the
project’s activities; a third section of ‘TECHNICAL PILLS’, where you will have the opportunity to read two short technical documents, one dedicated to Minerals sustainability and another on what are Thermoelectric materials; the fourth section is the ‘CONSORTIUM TOUR’, in which we will introduce each of the START partners, and in this issue you will have the opportunity to learn more about LNEG and SINTEF; the fifth section is the ‘CONTACTS’ area, where you can find how to get in touch with us and how to follow our social media accounts.
Damien VALET – Responsible of TOTEM Plateform
Workshp: Innovation and regulation in the framework of the energy transition -Funseam/ Tr@nsnet-
https://funseam.com/innovation-and-regulation-in-the-framework-of-the-energy-transition/
Horizon Europe Clean Energy Webinar - Cluster 5 Destination 3 | PitchesKTN
This webinar highlights funding call topics within Cluster 5 / Destination 3 of the Horizon Europe Framework Programme and bring you plenty of networking opportunities.
Similar to Closing the loop on recycling of rare earth elements (20)
EIT RM Summit 2020, September 30 [CROCODILE]Jokin Hidalgo
The CROCODILE project will showcase innovative metallurgical systems based on advanced pyro-, hydro-, bio-, iono- and electrometallurgy technologies for the recovery of cobalt and the production of cobalt metal and upstream products from a wide variety of secondary and primary European resources. CROCODILE will demonstrate the synergetic approaches and the integration of the innovative metallurgical systems within existing recovery processes of cobalt from primary and secondary sources at different locations in Europe, to enhance their efficiency, improve their economic and environmental values, and will provide a zero-waste strategy for important waste streams rich in cobalt such as batteries.
More than 140+ experts presented their inspiring projects and connected with over 700+ participant worldwide during this year’s online edition of the Raw Material Summit 2020 that took place on 29-30 September 2020. The innovative technologies of PLATIRUS projects and its latest project results were one of the successful presentations hosted by the project coordinator TECNALIA along with the support of the partner Monolithos Ltd. (Iakovos Yakoumis) during the EASME session H2020 – Innovation and innovators along the raw materials value chain on 30 September.
PLATIRUS consortium held a presentation sharing insights about the PLATInum group metals Recovery Using Secondary raw materials. The Platirus concept, partnership along with the technologies developed were presented by Guillermo Pozo (TECNALIA), while Iakovos Yakoumis (Monolithos Ltd) presented the incorporation of Deep-Eutectic-Solvents (DES) Leaching Technology developed in the framework of Platirus to MONOLITHOS’ integrated circular economy model for manufacturing new automotive catalysts from 100% recycled Platinum Group Metals (EIT Raw Materials CEBRA Up-Scaling Project).
Tecnalia Research & Innovation - Oct 2018Jokin Hidalgo
Tecnalia Corporation is a Technology Corporation set up in 2001 with the principal aim of contributing towards the development of the economic and social environment by means of the use and promotion of Technological Innovation through the development and dissemination of Research in an international context.
Tecnalia Research & Innovation is a Technology Corporation set up in 2001 with the principal aim of contributing towards the development of the economic and social environment by means of the use and promotion of Technological Innovation through the development and dissemination of Research in an international context.
We develop technology and generate business opportunities for eco-industry and other industrial sectors, focusing our activities in solving their environmental problems …
IONIC LIQUIDS can replace traditional industrial processes such as electrodeposition, pyro and hydrometallurgy (solid-liquid extraction, liquid-liquid extraction, precipitation) for new eco-friendly, no volatile organic solvents containing, no energy- intensive, and cost effective processes .
Curso de Introducción a la Corrosión (2ª Edición) / 14-15 de Noviembre 2017 /...Jokin Hidalgo
La corrosión es una reacción química o electroquímica entre un material, generalmente metálico, y su entorno, que produce una pérdida de sus características. En un gran número de aplicaciones industriales cobra especial relevancia la compatibilidad de los materiales, equipos y sistemas con el ambiente en que se van a ubicar y las condiciones de servicio, que se manifiesta habitualmente en los fenómenos de la corrosión.
A través de este curso, impartido en esta segunda edición por reconocidos expertos de TECNALIA y de IR Corrosión, conoceremos con mayor profundidad los fenómenos que originan los procesos de corrosión, deteniéndonos para analizar aspectos específicos de la corrosión en ductos y en uniones soldadas. El curso presentará igualmente métodos para la protección contra la corrosión, así como técnicas para la monitorización o seguimiento de la corrosión.
Habida cuenta de que la protección contra la corrosión comienza por su prevención, a lo largo del curso veremos ensayos para la evaluación de la corrosión de los materiales, así como ensayos acelerados que permiten simular las condiciones que pueden causar los diferentes fenómenos de corrosión. Finalizaremos el curso viendo una serie de casos prácticos de análisis de fallos.
El curso combinará teoría con casos prácticos. Los asistentes recibirán documentación impresa que recogerá toda la información relevante del curso.
El curso está dirigido a todas aquellas personas interesadas en entender los fenómenos de corrosión que tienen lugar en diferentes aplicaciones industriales así como los medios disponibles para preverlos y evitarlos: ingenieros, técnicos, gerentes, responsables de ventas, responsables de mantenimiento, inspectores, etc.
Curso introducción a la corrosión tecnaliaJokin Hidalgo
Curso de Introducción a la Corrosión (14-15 de Noviembre de 2016):
La corrosión es una reacción química o electroquímica entre un material, generalmente metálico, y su entorno, que produce una pérdida de sus características. En un gran número de aplicaciones industriales cobra especial relevancia la compatibilidad de los materiales, equipos y sistemas con el ambiente en que se van a ubicar y las condiciones de servicio, que se manifiesta habitualmente en los fenómenos de la corrosión. A través de este curso, impartido por reconocidos expertos de TECNALIA, conoceremos con mayor profundidad los fenómenos que originan los diferentes procesos de corrosión, deteniéndonos para analizar aspectos específicos de la corrosión en ductos y en uniones soldadas. El curso presentará igualmente diferentes métodos para la protección contra la corrosión. Una de las áreas temáticas del mismo tratará la monitorización o seguimiento de la corrosión. Habida cuenta de que la protección contra la corrosión comienza por su prevención, a lo largo del curso veremos ensayos para la evaluación de la corrosión de los materiales, así como ensayos acelerados que permiten simular las condiciones que pueden causar los diferentes fenómenos de corrosión. Finalizaremos el curso viendo una serie de casos prácticos de análisis de fallos. El curso combinará teoría con casos prácticos. Los asistentes recibirán documentación impresa que recogerá toda la información relevante del curso. El curso está dirigido a todas aquellas personas interesadas en entender los fenómenos de corrosión que tienen lugar en diferentes aplicaciones industriales así como los medios disponibles para preverlos y evitarlos: ingenieros, técnicos, gerentes, responsables de ventas, responsables de mantenimiento, inspectores, etc.
TECNALIA cuenta con un equipo de expertos en materiales capaces de abordar trabajos de Selección de Materiales, Caracterización, Comportamiento en Servicio, Análisis de Fallo, Vida Residual y Extensión de Vida.
Innovación en la envolvente arquitectónicaJokin Hidalgo
TECNALIA, es el socio estratégico para el desarrollo de nuevos productos y mejora de las prestaciones de los ya existentes en el sector de la Envolvente Arquitectónica. Ofrecemos a las empresas I+D+i, transferencia de propiedad intelectual y servicios tecnológicos adaptándonos a las necesidades de la industria, con orientación a la generación de valor e impacto en mercado.
Disponemos de laboratorios de vanguardia y el conocimiento tecnológico para satisfacer las necesidades del sector de la Envolvente Arquitectónica en el desarrollo, la evaluación de las prestaciones y la caracterización para la puesta en el mercado de productos innovadores.
TECNALIA trabaja también en la integración de sistemas electrónicos y tecnologías de la información y comunicación en diferentes elementos de la Envolvente Arquitectónica para hacer frente a las necesidades de desarrollo de nuevos productos "inteligentes" para las Fachadas del futuro.
En TECNALIA los fabricantes pueden validar sus nuevos desarrollos, desde el prototipo hasta el producto final, en instalaciones específicamente diseñadas para tal fin evaluando la eficiencia y la funcionalidad de todos los elementos que componen una envolvente arquitectónica, garantizando su seguridad y fiabilidad.
Multi-source connectivity as the driver of solar wind variability in the heli...Sérgio Sacani
The ambient solar wind that flls the heliosphere originates from multiple
sources in the solar corona and is highly structured. It is often described
as high-speed, relatively homogeneous, plasma streams from coronal
holes and slow-speed, highly variable, streams whose source regions are
under debate. A key goal of ESA/NASA’s Solar Orbiter mission is to identify
solar wind sources and understand what drives the complexity seen in the
heliosphere. By combining magnetic feld modelling and spectroscopic
techniques with high-resolution observations and measurements, we show
that the solar wind variability detected in situ by Solar Orbiter in March
2022 is driven by spatio-temporal changes in the magnetic connectivity to
multiple sources in the solar atmosphere. The magnetic feld footpoints
connected to the spacecraft moved from the boundaries of a coronal hole
to one active region (12961) and then across to another region (12957). This
is refected in the in situ measurements, which show the transition from fast
to highly Alfvénic then to slow solar wind that is disrupted by the arrival of
a coronal mass ejection. Our results describe solar wind variability at 0.5 au
but are applicable to near-Earth observatories.
THE IMPORTANCE OF MARTIAN ATMOSPHERE SAMPLE RETURN.Sérgio Sacani
The return of a sample of near-surface atmosphere from Mars would facilitate answers to several first-order science questions surrounding the formation and evolution of the planet. One of the important aspects of terrestrial planet formation in general is the role that primary atmospheres played in influencing the chemistry and structure of the planets and their antecedents. Studies of the martian atmosphere can be used to investigate the role of a primary atmosphere in its history. Atmosphere samples would also inform our understanding of the near-surface chemistry of the planet, and ultimately the prospects for life. High-precision isotopic analyses of constituent gases are needed to address these questions, requiring that the analyses are made on returned samples rather than in situ.
Nutraceutical market, scope and growth: Herbal drug technologyLokesh Patil
As consumer awareness of health and wellness rises, the nutraceutical market—which includes goods like functional meals, drinks, and dietary supplements that provide health advantages beyond basic nutrition—is growing significantly. As healthcare expenses rise, the population ages, and people want natural and preventative health solutions more and more, this industry is increasing quickly. Further driving market expansion are product formulation innovations and the use of cutting-edge technology for customized nutrition. With its worldwide reach, the nutraceutical industry is expected to keep growing and provide significant chances for research and investment in a number of categories, including vitamins, minerals, probiotics, and herbal supplements.
A brief information about the SCOP protein database used in bioinformatics.
The Structural Classification of Proteins (SCOP) database is a comprehensive and authoritative resource for the structural and evolutionary relationships of proteins. It provides a detailed and curated classification of protein structures, grouping them into families, superfamilies, and folds based on their structural and sequence similarities.
Richard's entangled aventures in wonderlandRichard Gill
Since the loophole-free Bell experiments of 2020 and the Nobel prizes in physics of 2022, critics of Bell's work have retreated to the fortress of super-determinism. Now, super-determinism is a derogatory word - it just means "determinism". Palmer, Hance and Hossenfelder argue that quantum mechanics and determinism are not incompatible, using a sophisticated mathematical construction based on a subtle thinning of allowed states and measurements in quantum mechanics, such that what is left appears to make Bell's argument fail, without altering the empirical predictions of quantum mechanics. I think however that it is a smoke screen, and the slogan "lost in math" comes to my mind. I will discuss some other recent disproofs of Bell's theorem using the language of causality based on causal graphs. Causal thinking is also central to law and justice. I will mention surprising connections to my work on serial killer nurse cases, in particular the Dutch case of Lucia de Berk and the current UK case of Lucy Letby.
Cancer cell metabolism: special Reference to Lactate PathwayAADYARAJPANDEY1
Normal Cell Metabolism:
Cellular respiration describes the series of steps that cells use to break down sugar and other chemicals to get the energy we need to function.
Energy is stored in the bonds of glucose and when glucose is broken down, much of that energy is released.
Cell utilize energy in the form of ATP.
The first step of respiration is called glycolysis. In a series of steps, glycolysis breaks glucose into two smaller molecules - a chemical called pyruvate. A small amount of ATP is formed during this process.
Most healthy cells continue the breakdown in a second process, called the Kreb's cycle. The Kreb's cycle allows cells to “burn” the pyruvates made in glycolysis to get more ATP.
The last step in the breakdown of glucose is called oxidative phosphorylation (Ox-Phos).
It takes place in specialized cell structures called mitochondria. This process produces a large amount of ATP. Importantly, cells need oxygen to complete oxidative phosphorylation.
If a cell completes only glycolysis, only 2 molecules of ATP are made per glucose. However, if the cell completes the entire respiration process (glycolysis - Kreb's - oxidative phosphorylation), about 36 molecules of ATP are created, giving it much more energy to use.
IN CANCER CELL:
Unlike healthy cells that "burn" the entire molecule of sugar to capture a large amount of energy as ATP, cancer cells are wasteful.
Cancer cells only partially break down sugar molecules. They overuse the first step of respiration, glycolysis. They frequently do not complete the second step, oxidative phosphorylation.
This results in only 2 molecules of ATP per each glucose molecule instead of the 36 or so ATPs healthy cells gain. As a result, cancer cells need to use a lot more sugar molecules to get enough energy to survive.
Unlike healthy cells that "burn" the entire molecule of sugar to capture a large amount of energy as ATP, cancer cells are wasteful.
Cancer cells only partially break down sugar molecules. They overuse the first step of respiration, glycolysis. They frequently do not complete the second step, oxidative phosphorylation.
This results in only 2 molecules of ATP per each glucose molecule instead of the 36 or so ATPs healthy cells gain. As a result, cancer cells need to use a lot more sugar molecules to get enough energy to survive.
introduction to WARBERG PHENOMENA:
WARBURG EFFECT Usually, cancer cells are highly glycolytic (glucose addiction) and take up more glucose than do normal cells from outside.
Otto Heinrich Warburg (; 8 October 1883 – 1 August 1970) In 1931 was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology for his "discovery of the nature and mode of action of the respiratory enzyme.
WARNBURG EFFECT : cancer cells under aerobic (well-oxygenated) conditions to metabolize glucose to lactate (aerobic glycolysis) is known as the Warburg effect. Warburg made the observation that tumor slices consume glucose and secrete lactate at a higher rate than normal tissues.
2. Impact Objectives
• Make available rare earth elements and rare earth alloys for
magnet production
• Develop an efficient and cost-effective method of extraction and a
direct production route for rare earth alloys
An independent rare
earth elements supply chain
Ana Maria Martinez of Norway’s SINTEF Materials and Chemistry is Project Coordinator of the
REE4EU project. She shares how this work will improve the availability of rare earth elements in Europe
What are the goals
of the Rare Earth
Recycling for
Europe (REE4EU)
project?
REE4EU aims
to realise a breakthrough in securing the
availability of rare earth elements (REE)
in Europe. This means providing, for the
first time, a cost-effective and efficient
REE extraction and direct rare earth alloys
(REA) production route from abundantly
available in-process and end-of-life REE
waste streams. We hope to show that it is
possible to maintain the whole value chain
during permanent magnet production
and electrodes for nickel metal hydride
batteries using secondary raw materials,
thus avoiding the dependency of importing
expensive REE from China. The project
might also open up market opportunities
to stakeholders seeking sustainable REE
recycling technologies.
Who are the partners involved in REE4EU?
The consortium covers the core value chain
and surrounding stakeholders with interest
in realising and implementing REE recovery
from permanent magnets and secondary
battery waste, from those involved in REE
metal production and the manufacturing
of permanent magnets to end users of
automotive, electric and hybrid vehicles, as
well as recycling companies. The REE4EU
consortium consists of 14 partners from
seven European countries. SINTEF is the
coordinator and the scientific leader of
the project, and is also leading the high
temperature electrolysis (HTE) work, both at
laboratory and pilot scale.
What is the breakthrough you are looking
for in the field of recovery technologies for
metals and other minerals?
For the first time, the extraction of REE and
the alloy production will be demonstrated
at pilot scale. Previous EU-financed projects
either did not demonstrate the extraction
technologies at pilot scale or, if they did,
they did not go one step further, which is the
production of valuable alloys and then final
products. In REE4EU we will demonstrate
a complete closed-loop recycling process
for permanent magnets and battery waste,
from the REE-containing waste material to
the REE-containing product. At the same
time, the project will demonstrate the
economic viability of the REE4EU solution
by developing several business cases as well
as performing a market analysis.
The technologies are already demonstrated
at project start (technology readiness
level 4). Therefore, the project aims to
demonstrate the concept at a larger scale. It
will provide missing market data to enable
sound business planning for recycling
companies. We will also demonstrate that
REE4EU will be able to accommodate
different input stream categories.
What are the technologies you are hoping
to develop?
There are three technologies we will be
looking to develop to achieve the goals of
the REE4EU project: HTE for providing the
REE alloys; an extraction step involving
ionic liquids (ILE) for recovering the REE
elements in the form of oxides from the
different waste streams; and advanced
hydrometallurgical (HM) routes will also be
developed as an extraction step. The HM
routes will be enhanced compared to similar
state-of-the-art methods and will be used for
benchmarking the route using ionic liquids.
You have two planned industrial pilot
projects. Can you share a little about them?
One of the pilots, which will be installed
in Norway, will demonstrate the ILE-HTE
technologies for all the waste streams.
Another pilot will be installed in the UK
and will demonstrate the feasibility of the
HTE process using HM-upgraded feed. The
results of both pilots will be benchmarked.
3. Closing the loop on recycling
of rare earth elements
The four-year REE4EU consortium is aiming to develop, validate and demonstrate a complete closed-loop
waste recycling process for permanent magnets and batteries, ultimately improving resource management
and environmental outcomes for Europe
Rare earth elements (REE) are a group of
17 chemical elements that occur together
in the periodic table. The group consists
of scandium, yttrium and the 15 lanthanide
elements. The REE are all metals, and the
group is often referred to as the rare earth
metals (REM). These metals have many
similar properties, and that often causes
them to be found together in geologic
deposits. REM, alloys and oxides that contain
them are part of devices that people use
every day such as computer memory, DVDs,
rechargeable batteries, cell phones, catalytic
converters, magnets, fluorescent lighting and
much more. During the past 20 years there
has been an explosion in demand for items
that require REE.
Ana Maria Martinez, a senior research
scientist based at Norway’s research institute
SINTEF, is Project Coordinator for an
innovative project called REE4EU (Rare Earth
Recycling for Europe), which is looking at
solutions for improving the waste from REE.
She observes that a recent study, based on
detailed trade data, estimates the global trade
in REE-containing products: ‘In 2010 this was
estimated at around €1.5 trillion, or 13 per
cent of the global trade. However, only 1 per
cent of REE waste is being recovered as no
adequate process is currently available.’ It is
hoped that REE4EU work will open up a fully
new route bringing recovery of in-process
wastes from valuable metal manufacturing
within reach.
A TEAM EFFORT
Kicked off in 2015, this four-year project
funded by the EU’s Horizon 2020 Research
and Innovation programme is supported by
14 partners from seven European countries.
The partners in this consortium offer valuable
experience to help deliver the required results.
There are highly respected research institutes
involved, as well as complementary research
organisations and industrial companies with
technical recycling knowledge. The combined
brain power of this consortium is an essential
component of the studies.
The consortium has now completed Phase
1 of the project, which saw them undertake
lab-scale and off-line integration, tailoring
the ionic liquid extraction (ILE) and high
temperature electrolysis (HTE) steps of the
project. ‘The engineering teams IDENER
and A3i-Inovertis, together with SINTEF, the
University of Toulouse and Tecnalia, as well
as the industrial partners responsible for
the pilots, Elkem and Less Common Metals,
established the corresponding conceptual
engineering design for the process,’ notes
Martinez. They are now working on Phase
2, where they will be integrating the process
engineering blueprint. Phase 3, which will
be completed in the third and fourth years
of activity, will involve pre-industrial scale
piloting and evaluation.
The team is combining two technologies
– one for REE extraction and the other for
producing marketable rare earth alloys
(REA). The REE4EU consortium is uniting
their collective brain power to validate
the combined technology at pilot scale.
‘The team is developing, for the first time
at industrial scale, an efficient and cost-
effective method of extraction and a direct
production route for REA, which will be
achieved through in-process and end-of-life
permanent magnets as well as Ni metal
hydride battery waste,’ explains Martinez.
MARKET POTENTIAL
The work involves using available REE-
containing wastes such as scrap waste
created during permanent magnet
manufacture and end-of-life wastes. At
present, there are no projects devoted
to the recovery of permanent magnet
swarf. This material is sold to China,
and could be an important secondary
resource of REE in Europe, and the first
input material to a future REE recycling
plant in Europe. ‘The project involves the
full value chain to prove technical and
economic viability of this technology for
recycling magnetic waste,’ says Martinez.
‘The consortium’s efforts will develop
market data and business cases for a new
European secondary REA production sector,
creating new jobs, increasing Europe’s
independence from imports, and providing
valuable raw materials for fast-growing
4. Project Insights
FUNDING
European Union Horizon 2020
Research and Innovation Programme
under grant agreement no 680507
PARTNERS
SINTEF (Norway) • Tecnalia (Spain)
• Less Common Metals (UK) •
Vacuumschmelze (Germany) • Elkem
(Norway) • IDENER (Spain) • A3i-
Inovertis (France) • French Alternative
Energies and Atomic Energy
Commission, CEA (France) • SNAM
(France) • Stena (Sweden) • European
Association for Electromobility,
AVERE (Belgium) • PNO Innovation
(Belgium) • European Chemical
Industry Council, CEFIC (Belgium) •
University of Toulouse (France)
CONTACT
Ana Maria Martinez
Project Coordinator
E: AnaMaria.Martinez@sintef.no
W: http://www.ree4eu.eu/
The consortium’s efforts will develop market data and business cases for a new
European secondary REA production sector, creating new jobs, increasing Europe’s
independence from imports, and providing valuable raw materials for fast-growing
European green technology industries
European green technology industries. By
accomplishing this, the project is fostering
competitiveness, resource efficiency and
environmental benefits.’
According to the US Geological Survey, in
2013 China produced about 90 per cent of
the world’s supply of REE ores. ‘Today, the
permanent magnet industry is suffering
from the Chinese control of the supply
chain,’ says Martinez. ‘Securing the supply
of critical raw materials, in general, and REE
in particular, is of great concern for Europe,
Japan and the US for both economic and
strategic reasons. Therefore, recovering
REE from wastes leads to accessibility of
REE raw materials that otherwise will need
to be imported.’ She explains that driven by
the increasing market penetration for many
maturing products that use REE, and fuelled
by lower price, and a recovering world
economy, the demand for REE is increasing:
‘Magnet applications in particular could
see double-digit growth rates in the coming
years. Many of the technologies that will
depend on high performance permanent
magnets are only just beginning to reach
mass markets.’
One of the biggest challenges to recovering
REE is the economics of the overall recycling
scheme. To be profitable, large amounts of
residues containing REE must be treated.
These wastes are available in large volume,
but the amount of REE contained is very
small. ‘In some situations, although large
amounts of waste streams are available,
the content of REE is small and they usually
end up in waste products (slags), as it is
energy intensive and complicated to recover
them,’ says Martinez. On the other hand,
with wastes containing large amounts of
REE such as end-of-life permanent magnets
the process of separating and collecting
them safely is not only time-consuming, but
requires the use of chemicals, leading to
toxic wastes.
REAL-WORLD, INDUSTRIAL-SCALE TRIALS
The REE4EU consortium is aiming to
develop an integrated solution that offers
significant improvements in cost and
REE4EU will facilitate the sustainability of green
technologies in Europe
environmental performance. ‘The REE4EU
concept features the integration of the
novel HTE of REA with the new ILE but
also with alternative pre-treatments, using
multidisciplinary design optimisation
(MDO),’ says Martinez. ‘MDO will enable
optimised engineering of the integrated
process managing the interactions between
the different systems that involve a number
of disciplines or subsystems such as
thermodynamics, mechanics and fluid
dynamics, developing the primary process
and the downstream separation as one
single integrated stage.’
They are now taking steps towards being
able to demonstrate the REE4EU process
in an industrially relevant environment. To
achieve this the partners are undertaking a
number of activities, including MDO and
mathematical modelling of the subprocesses
composing ILE, HM and HTE steps
using dynamics programming to conduct
optimisation. The results from this work
will then feed into the life cycle assessment
(LCA)- and conceptual engineering-related
documents and the detailed planning for
the construction of the pilot plant at a site in
Norway.
With so much progress being made,
Martinez is now starting to look at ways
to share what they have achieved through
stakeholder analysis, dissemination and
exploitation of the project results. The aim
now, she says, is to provide a ‘thorough
analysis and identification of the most
significant and economically valuable end-of-
life products to consider for the recovering
of REE using the REE4EU pilot plants’.