UniSA researchers tackling rare earth impacts

Researchers from the University of South Australia are developing a safer way to extract critical rare earth elements with a lower environmental footprint.

Dr Richmond Asamoah from UniSA’s Future Industry Institute is developing methods to extract critical minerals from downstream ore processing, tailings reprocessing and wastewater treatments. The project will test two metal recovery processes for extracting target metals from low-grade ores, fine minerals and tailings.

The institute is also conducting research into technologies for extracting minerals and metals from spent batteries and magnets.

Both areas are expected to contribute environmental benefits by removing hazardous metals seeping into the environment as well as cutting down on landfill.

“Rare earth minerals and battery metals are vital for the economic wellbeing of the world’s major and emerging economies, yet their supply is not reliable because of geological scarcity, geopolitical issues and trade policy,” Asamoah said.

“Accumulated mining wastes are becoming an increasingly valuable source of metals and energy, but because there’s a lack of productive and economically viable extraction technologies, there’s also a notable loss of valuable metals.”

The project, which is being funded by the Australia-India Strategic Research Fund, has the potential to deliver benefits to both countries, he said.

“We’re not only talking about environmental benefits, but also economical and sustainable technologies that both countries can use to extract rare earth and battery minerals from current mining operations,” Asamoah said.

“Rare earth elements contribute nearly $200 billion to the Indian economy, yet despite India having the world’s fifth-largest reserves of critical metals, they mostly import their rare earth needs from China. This project hopes to enable Australia to export rare earth minerals to India, as an alternative to China, as well as to empower India to establish eco-technologies to extract minerals and metals within their own borders.”

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