Recovery of Rare earths elements from a mine tailing

• Grant number: 25/05186-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: January 02, 2026
• End date: January 01, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Jorge Alberto Soares Tenório
• Grantee: Bárbara da Rocha Pereira
• Supervisor: James William Vaughan
• Host Institution: Escola Politécnica (EP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Queensland, Brisbane (UQ), Australia
• Associated to the scholarship: 23/16213-5 - RECOVERY OF DYSPROSIUM(DY) FROM LIQUOR OBTAINED THROUGH COLUMBITE LEACHING, BP.DR

Abstract

Rare earth elements (REEs) are essential components in several applications, including clean energy, electronics, and various industrial processes. As demand for REEs increases and environmental concerns about primary mining grow, recovering the metals from recycled materials has become a more prominent solution. The recovery of neodymium, praseodymium, lanthanum, and cerium from wastes produced at the Mary Kathleen uranium mine in Australia will be the focus of this hydrometallurgical study. This research will develop a highly efficient method for purifying REEs using acid leaching, solvent extraction, and selective precipitation, considering that the pH control, volume ratios, extraction efficiency, and metal separation techniques are all critical experimental parameters. This project promotes sustainable resource recovery, less reliance on mining, and circular economy ideals. The acquired knowledge is disseminated through academic publications, collaborative efforts, and technology transfer, which will strengthen global REE recovery strategies. (AU)