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The new mineral processing technique makes the extraction not only cost-effective, but also minimizes its environmental impact.

Extracting REEs from coal

Researchers from Penn State University, led by the US Department of Energy, have discovered that rare earth elements (REE) can be extracted from two coal byproducts through an ion-exchange process.

Photo: RTimagesPublished: 29 April 2016

The method involves rinsing the coal with a solution that releases the REEs that are bound to the fossil fuel.

REEs are important in many technologies, including electronics, computers, clean energy, health care, transportation and national defence. Despite their name, they are not all that rare, but unlike typical minerals they are rarely found in pockets or seams and are instead dispersed in low levels of concentration.

The new mineral processing technique makes the extraction not only cost-effective, but also minimizes environmental impact. Past research has examined “roasting,” a process that is energy intensive and requires exposure to concentrated acids. In contrast, ion exchange requires less energy, the group says.

The team say they want to take a fresh look at the feasibility of extracting REEs from coal given its abundance in the United States, which could be a boon to the ailing coal industry.