Contact

Prof. Dr. Ajay Patil
Deaprtment Head
Phone: +49 351 260 - 4411

Dr. Norman Kelly
Department of Process Metallurgy
Phone: +49 351 260 - 4740

r4 - Research for the Supply of Raw Materials of Strategic Economic

Vorschau-Bild

"SE-FLECX" Molecular Containers for Extracting Rare Earths

Research Project from the Funding Measure r4 by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)

Rare earths are used to manufacture many high-tech products and therefore are in high demand. However, extracting them from ores is complex because their chemical and physical properties are so similar. Therefore, separating them requires intricate technical procedures. In addition, rare earth deposits often contain radioactive elements such as uranium or thorium, which must be removed efficiently before the rare earths can be processed further.

Calixarene eignen sich vor allem wegen ihrer kelchförmigen Struktur, um Seltene Erden und ihre Begleitstoffe effektiv voneinander zu trennen.
Calixarens, so-named because of their chalice-like shape, can be tailored to exactly bind one chemical substance.
Photo: University Leipzig / Berthold Kersting

Under the coordination of the Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology experts from research and industry are testing if so-called calixarenes could be used as an alternative extraction agent in the industrial separation of rare earths. The organic macro molecules are expected to simplify the enrichment of these metals or other by-products and significantly decrease the use of process chemicals. Calixarenes, so-named because of their chalice-like shape, have the advantage that they can be tailored to exactly bind one chemical substance. 

The project team tests the container molecules in solvent extraction, one of the most common methods currently used to separate and accumulate rare earths from aqueous mixed solutions. So far, these substances have been bound by adding an organic extraction agent that is also liquid. Due to the low selectivity of these traditional separating agents, the individual elements only accumulate gradually over the course of many separation stages. The use of calixarenes could reduce the number of separation stages needed to extract each element tenfold, saving not only process chemicals and energy, but also a lot of chemical waste.

The project „SE-FLECX“ belongs to the funding measure „r4 – Innovative Technologies for Resource Efficiency – Research for the Supply of Raw Materials of Strategic Economic Importance“ in the framework program „Research for Sustainable Development (FONA)“ of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.


Project title: Selective liquid-liquid-extraction of lanthanoids and actinoids by using pre organized calixarens

Project partners:

Duration: May 1st, 2015 - April 30th, 2018

Funding volume: 1.773.000 Mio. Euro

Funding code: 033R132

Funding measure: r4 – Innovative Technologies for Resource Efficiency – Research for the Supply of Raw Materials of Strategic Economic Importance

Funded by:

Federal Ministry of Education and Research LOGO PTJ
 
LOGO FONA