Recycling rare earth elements using ionic liquids
By Ian Farrell
Chemistry World
March 15, 2013
Recycling old magnets, so that rare-earth metals can be
re-used, could help to solve an urgent raw material
supply problem in the electronics industry. Researchers
from the University of Leuven, Belgium, have used ionic
liquids to separate neodymium and samarium from
transition metals like iron, manganese and cobalt � all
elements that are used in the construction of permanent
rare-earth magnets, which are found in electronic devices
ranging from hard drives to air conditioners and wind
turbines.
�The process involves the liquid-liquid extraction of
rare-earth metals from the other elements present in
neodymium-iron-boron and samarium-cobalt magnets,�
explains Koen Binnemans who leads the group developing
the process. �These other elements � including iron,
cobalt, manganese, copper and zinc � are extracted into
the ionic-liquid phase, while the rare-earth metals are
left behind in the aqueous phase,� he says, adding that
the ionic liquid itself � trihexyl(tetradecyl)phosphonium
chloride � can also be re-used, after the transition
metals have been stripped out.
Continues at:
http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/2013/03/recycling-rare-earth-neodymium-and-samarium-ionic-liquids
Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
Om Shanti
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.jai-maharaj