From landfills to missiles: US firm to extract rare earths from e-waste for defense

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From landfills to missiles: US firm to extract rare earths from e-waste for defense
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DoD has awarded a $5.1 million contract to Rare Resource Recycling (REEcycle) to extract rare earth minerals from electronic waste.

A Texas-based company is pioneering a new method to recycle electronic waste into rare earth elements crucial for national defense.The goal of the project is to restart a demonstration facility and progress with commissioning a commercial facility, which is projected to produce 50 tons of rare earth oxides annually.

In 2013, he discovered a chemical reaction that could extract 15 of the 17 rare earth elements from discarded electronic waste. The team then focused on bringing this innovative process to market, with particular emphasis on neodymium and dysprosium, the two rare earth elements the DoE identified as most critical for clean energy and most at risk in terms of supply. From 2014 to 2016, REEcycle earned top honors and national awards at business plan competitions hosted by leading universities.

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