RARE EARTH ELEMENT EXTRACTION METHODS AND APPARATUSES
A method of extracting a rare earth element from a carbonaceous material deposit utilizing a ligand to capture the rare earth element includes crushing the carbonaceous material deposit to form a carbonaceous material particulate and forming a first pregnant leachate including the carbonaceous material particulate and a ligand. The method further includes extracting the metal impurities via an ion exchange or floatation to form a reduced leachate and forming a second pregnant leachate comprising the reduced leachate and the ligand. The method also includes extracting the rare earth element from the reduced leachate via an ion exchange or floatation, capturing the rare earth element in the binding site of the ligand, and desorbing the rare earth element from the ligand.
1 . A method of separating rare earth elements from a feedstock of carbonaceous material, the method comprising:
separating gallium and germanium from the feedstock;
separating the feedstock into a first solution comprising light rare earth elements, a second solution comprising middle rare earth elements, and a third solution comprising heavy rare earth elements; and
separating individual rare earth elements from each of the first solution, the second solution, and the third solution.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the individual rare earth elements are separated by capture by lanmodulin.
3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising releasing the individual rare earth elements by altering a pH of a solution comprising the individual rare earth elements and the lanmodulin.
4 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising releasing the individual rare earth elements by electrically stimulating a solution comprising the individual rare earth elements and the lanmodulin.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the gallium and germanium are separated from the feedstock by a precipitation reaction.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the gallium and germanium are separated from the feedstock by an acid leaching and filtration separation.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the light rare earth elements, the middle rare earth elements, and the heavy rare earth elements are separated by capture by lanmodulin.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the feedstock is separated into the first solution, the second solution, and the third solution by altering a pH of the feedstock to selectively release the light rare earth elements, the middle rare earth elements, and the heavy rare earth elements.
9 . A method of functionalizing carbon fiber for capturing rare earth elements, the method comprising:
providing a carbon substrate;
providing a metal-binding biological ligand comprising a linker; and
attaching the metal-binding biological ligand through the linker by a single chemical reaction.
10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising capturing rare earth elements by the metal-binding biological ligand in a fluidized bed reactor.
11 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising capturing rare earth elements by the metal-binding biological ligand in a membrane separation system.
12 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising electrically stimulating the carbon substrate to selectively absorb or desorb specific rare earth elements from the metal-binding biological ligand.
13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the metal-binding biological ligand is configured to capture a rare earth element at a first pH and release the rare earth element at a second pH different form the first pH.
14 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the metal-binding biological ligand comprises lanmodulin.
15 . A system for extracting rare earth elements comprising:
a first separator for removing aluminum, gallium, and germanium from an inlet stream; and
a second separator comprising a filter for capturing the rare earth elements, the filter comprising:
a carbon substrate; and
a glycolipid coupled to the carbon substrate, the glycolipid comprising a binding site configured to capture the rare earth elements.
16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the first reactor comprises an alkali leaching and filtration separator.
17 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the second reactor comprises a fluidized bed separator or a filtration separator.
18 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the glycolipid is configured to capture a range of rare earth elements and selectively release rare earth elements at selected pH.
19 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the glycolipid is configured to capture a specific rare earth element.
20 . The system of claim 15 , further comprising a third separator for removing iron and impurities from the inlet stream.