Recovery of rare earth metals from side streams

The products, solutions and demonstrations developed during this project are related to new recovery technologies and utilization of specific modelling. The steering group contains five companies who are able to utilize the results by developing new products and piloting presented solutions. The potential of Finland in the recycling of REEs/valuable metals will be considered broadly, when wide amount of different parties working in the field will be gathered. The project will enhance many of the horizontal principles. The sustainable use of natural resources is enhanced by using secondary resources for rare earth elements, when the use of raw minerals can be reduced. This, on the other hand, will effect on the environmental burden caused by the mining activities reducing the risk of the pollution of soil and water resources. From the economical point of view, it is highly important that availability of the REEs is not dependent on the import of China. When waste streams are utilized better as resources, economical benefits are achieved from both waste utilization and reducing the purchase of imported metals. The sustainable development of local business is enhanced by the new business opportunities and formed industrial symbioses.

The aim of this project is to develop novel electrochemical and ion-exchange –based methods for the recovery of REEs from the side streams such as electronic waste, slag, ash and sludge and study the efficiency and economic aspects of these methods. 

The proposed solutions are planned by taking into account low carbon aspects by means of energy and material efficiency. Moreover, advanced modelling will be utilized in scaling the methods.

 In addition, the aim is to build a comprehensive network, which aims to enhance metal recycling in southeast Finland. In order to achieve this goal a survey about the side streams and utilizing companies will be conducted and possibility to realize novel industrial symbioses will be searched.