New Cell-Inspired Technology Makes Rare Earth Recycling Cleaner and More Efficient
Affiliate Disclosure
Hey fellow impactful ninja ?
You may have noticed that Impactful Ninja is all about providing helpful information to make a positive impact on the world and society. And that we love to link back to where we found all the information for each of our posts.
Most of these links are informational-based for you to check out their primary sources with one click.
But some of these links are so-called "affiliate links" to products that we recommend.
Why do we add these product links?
First and foremost, because we believe that they add value to you. For example, when we wrote a post about the environmental impact of long showers, we came across an EPA recommendation to use WaterSense showerheads. So we linked to where you can find them. Or, for many of our posts, we also link to our favorite books on that topic so that you can get a much more holistic overview than one single blog post could provide.
And when there is an affiliate program for these products, we sign up for it. For example, as Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases.
What do these affiliate links mean for you?
First, and most importantly, we still only recommend products that we believe add value for you.
When you buy something through one of our affiliate links, we may earn a small commission - but at no additional costs to you.
And when you buy something through a link that is not an affiliate link, we won’t receive any commission but we’ll still be happy to have helped you.
What do these affiliate links mean for us?
When we find products that we believe add value to you and the seller has an affiliate program, we sign up for it.
When you buy something through one of our affiliate links, we may earn a small commission (at no extra costs to you).
And at this point in time, all money is reinvested in sharing the most helpful content with you. This includes all operating costs for running this site and the content creation itself.
What does this mean for me personally?
You may have noticed by the way Impactful Ninja is operated that money is not the driving factor behind it. It is a passion project of mine and I love to share helpful information with you to make a positive impact on the world and society. However, it's a project in that I invest a lot of time and also quite some money.
Eventually, my dream is to one day turn this passion project into my full-time job and provide even more helpful information. But that's still a long time to go.
Stay impactful,
At Impactful Ninja, we curate positive and impactful news for you. Follow us on Google News or sign up for our free newsletter to get these delivered straight to your inbox—just like our expert roundup below!
📰 The quick summary: Scientists at the University of Texas at Austin developed artificial membrane channels that extract rare earth elements more efficiently and cleanly than traditional methods, helping secure vital materials for green technology.
📈 One key stat: The new membrane technology demonstrates over 140 times more selectivity for terbium over lanthanum, dramatically outperforming conventional extraction methods that typically achieve selectivity ratios of just 3 to 5 per step.
💬 One key quote: “Inspired by the natural world, we wanted to copy biology’s ability to move ions with extreme accuracy,” said Manish Kumar, professor at UT Austin’s Cockrell School of Engineering.
1️⃣ The big picture: Scientists at the University of Texas at Austin have created biomimetic membrane channels that revolutionize how rare earth elements (REEs) are separated and extracted. These 17 metallic elements, essential for electric vehicles, smartphones, and renewable energy technologies, have traditionally been difficult to isolate due to their similar chemical properties. The new method mimics how cells naturally transport ions, creating artificial channels that act as selective gatekeepers for specific elements like europium and terbium. This breakthrough offers a cleaner, more efficient alternative to conventional extraction processes that rely on toxic solvents and generate significant waste.
2️⃣ Why is this good news: This technology marks a dramatic improvement in rare earth element separation efficiency, reducing multiple chemical steps to a single process. The artificial channels achieve unprecedented selectivity – up to 140 times better than traditional methods – while eliminating toxic solvents and reducing energy consumption. By enabling easier recycling from electronic waste, the approach helps secure supplies of these critical materials that face potential shortages as green technology demand rises. The same principles can potentially be applied to other valuable elements like lithium and cobalt, creating a platform for sustainable materials recovery across multiple industries.
3️⃣ What’s next: Researchers aim to scale up this technology from laboratory to industrial applications through adaptable membrane systems. The team envisions creating customizable platforms allowing industries to target specific elements based on their needs. Expanding beyond rare earths to other critical metals could help address material shortages across various manufacturing sectors.
Read the full story here: The Brighter Side News – Researchers develop a more efficient and cleaner approach to extracting rare earth elements
