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Recovering Rare Earth Elements from Coal Ash for Clean Energy Technologies
Context:
- Researchers are exploring coal ash, a byproduct of coal-fired power plants, as a potential new source of Rare Earth Elements (REEs).
- This study specifically investigates coal ash from plants in Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada.
Key Highlights:
- REEs are crucial for technologies needed in the transition to green energy, including electric vehicles and other clean energy solutions.
- REEs are not particularly rare but are found in large deposits in a few locations, mostly in China. Extracting them is challenging.
- Using X-ray beamlines at the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan, the team analysed coal ash samples to locate and study REEs, particularly yttrium.
- REEs, including yttrium, were found concentrated in specific minerals within the ash, such as silicates and phosphates (e.g., xenotime), which are stable during coal combustion.
- The recovery of REEs from coal ash not only helps manage waste but also contributes to the supply of essential materials for sustainable energy solutions.
Significance:
- Recovering REEs from coal ash could provide a short-to-medium-term source of these critical metals, potentially faster than developing new mines, which can take up to 17 years from exploration to production.
- This method supports a circular economy by turning waste into a resource, reducing environmental liabilities associated with coal ash, and providing materials needed for clean energy technologies.
Implications:
- The presence of REEs in stable minerals like xenotime suggests that existing extraction processes might be adapted for coal ash.
- While the concentration of REEs in coal ash is not very high, the large volume of ash and the even distribution of REEs can simplify extraction compared to traditional mining.