Sustainable Development and Recycling of Rare Earth Resources

Dear Colleagues,

Sustainability leads the society in developing stages. It mainly is subject to on society, environment and economy. East Asian countries such as Korea, Japan, Singapore etc having very limited natural resources of rare earths (REs); Recycling subject concern the waste minimization, environmental/economic incentives, energy considerations and industrial ecology.

Rare earths (REs) playing key role in new modern lives; REs were having numerous applications in the areas of electrical, electronic fields. Hydrometallurgy, the aqueous processing of metal ions tool is the cheapest and convenient for REs recovery from primary resources (Ores and Minerals) and secondary resources (Industrial wastes and scraps). Countries like South Korea having many high-tech industries in the fields of electrical and electronic items manufacturing; as well as supply to global needs. At the same time this country have two major problems one is the landfilling problem (generated manufacturing waste and after usage scraps) and natural resources. And the another major concern is the population densities, as per the economic co-operation and development (OECD) organization records (year 2012) top ten nations are as follows (http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/trends/wpp2012): South Korea, The Netherlands, Belgium, Israel, Japan, UK, Germany, Luxemburg, Italy and Switzerland. REs having wide range applications in various fields such as metallurgical, electronics, chemical reactions, computers, televisions, glass, alloys, petroleum refining catalysts and permanent magnets etc . And REs demand worldwide in various applications are estimated magnets 26%, metal alloys 19%, polishing 16.5%, catalysts 15%, glass/phosphors 6% and ceramics/others 5.5%. REs reserves and production global wide China occupies the major role the other nations such as India, Australia, Malaysia, Brazil, USA and Russia. 

Four REs recognized by the DoE, USA as critical rare earth elements such as neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium and terbium based on their reserves, supply and demand. Du and Graedel estimated the REs global in-use stocks for the Nd-Fe-B permanent magnets. Out of these four REs neodymium estimated high amount of global in-use stocks followed by Pr/Dy and Tb.

From the periodic table fifteen elements recognized as rare earths elements (REEs), atomic number 57 to 71. Two another elements such as scandium and yttrium having similar properties of above said elements from 57 to 71 (Atomic number); these two were also included in REEs. In 21^st century electronics are leading in the human lives as well as industrial developments and countries’ economies mainly depends on electronic goods exports to overseas countries. Primary resources having very limited REEs concentration; the highest amount of RE concentration is cerium, 60 mg/L and the lowest RE concentration is promethium 10^-18 mg/L.   

Rare earths elements (REEs), having various industrial applications among all hi-tech and electronic based materials prepared by using REEs. The REEs distribution by end use products are majorly metallurgical applications (29%), electronics (18%) and other REEs based products (12%) were up to 30%. And other sector permanent magnets (4%), those are parts inside the electrical and electronics products.

Prof. Rajesh Kumar Jyothi
Guest Editor

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• Recovery
• Recycling
• Extraction
• Separation
• Rare earths
• Secondary resources
• e-Waste
• Urban mining
• Waste management
• Environmental management