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Ecological production of rare earth elements from waste

17.02.2022

Rare earth elements (REEs) are extremely important for the consumer electronics, chemical and automotive industries. Based on Nd, Y, Sm, Er, Eu with Fe-B, alloys with record magnetic properties are obtained, so they are used in engines for electric vehicles and hybrids. Others are needed to create components for smartphones, hard drives, flat screens, etc.

Flash Joule heating technology was developed several years ago to produce graphene from any solid carbon source, and is now being applied to three sources of rare earth elements: coal fly ash, bauxite residues, and electronic waste. But the industrial extraction of rare earths is associated with leaching due to the use of acid, which is harmful to the environment.

A group of scientists from the American Rice University has developed a method for obtaining REE from waste efficiently and with a minimum of acid. To do this, fly ash and other materials, combined with soot, were placed in a quartz tube. Then an electric current was passed through it, heating up to 3 thousand degrees Celsius in a second. This process allowed the waste to be converted into highly soluble "activated REE" - the small balls in the main photo. The work of scientists was published in the journal Science Advances.

Industrial processes use 15 molar concentrations of nitric acid to recover materials, while Rice University researchers use 0,1 molar concentrations of hydrochloric acid to extract materials.

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DeLorean will be produced again 28.01.2016

The DeLorean Motor Company has announced news that will please fans of the fantastic trilogy "Back to the Future": the production of the DeLorean DMC-12, in which Marty McFly and Doc Brown traveled through time, will be resumed.

DeLorean DMC-12, or simply DeLorean, was produced from 1981 to 1983. Distinctive features of this model are gull-wing doors and a frame body made of composite, glued on the outside with sheets of unpainted stainless steel 1 mm thick. It was these details that gave the car a recognizable look, but participation in the cult trilogy "Back to the Future", in fact, turned the DeLorean into a legend.

Alas, the build quality of the cars left much to be desired. Sales did not live up to the creators' expectations, and the warehouses were overcrowded. The debts accumulated during the low-quality assembly and the lost credibility led to bankruptcy. As a result, the founder of the DeLorean Motor Company, John DeLorean, was arrested by the FBI in 1982 on a fabricated case of selling a consignment of cocaine. Later he was found not guilty, but it was no longer possible to save DMC-12 - the banks refused loans to Mr. DeLorean, and the government stopped funding.

And now it is reported that the US authorities have given the green light to the small-scale production of a replica of the legendary DeLorean. The body of the car is planned to be manufactured according to the original project using the same parts as in the 80s of the last century.

As for the "stuffing" of the car, it will undergo changes. In particular, modern electronics and new security systems will be used. DeLorean will also receive a new engine, which, according to unofficial information, will be able to produce up to 400 horsepower.

The release of the "car of the future" is planned to be organized in early 2017. In total, about 300 cars will enter the market at a price of "no more than 100 thousand US dollars." By comparison, refurbished DeLoreans are now available for between $45 and $55.

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