{"id":20661,"date":"2026-01-01T22:01:24","date_gmt":"2026-01-02T05:01:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vpzajoti4c.onrocket.site\/news\/turning-waste-into-supply-new-study-shows-how-rare-earth-tailings-can-possibly-close-the-loop\/"},"modified":"2026-01-12T11:36:54","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T18:36:54","slug":"turning-waste-into-supply-new-study-shows-how-rare-earth-tailings-can-possibly-close-the-loop","status":"publish","type":"news-archive","link":"https:\/\/rareearthexchanges.com\/news\/turning-waste-into-supply-new-study-shows-how-rare-earth-tailings-can-possibly-close-the-loop\/","title":{"rendered":"Turning Waste into Supply: New Study Shows How Rare Earth Tailings Can Possibly Close the Loop"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Highlights<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Researchers at Curtin University demonstrated that acid crack leach residue\u2014currently discarded waste\u2014can recover approximately 65% of remaining rare earths using recyclable organic acids instead of harsh chemicals.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The study reveals that processing waste contains rare earth concentrations comparable to fresh ore, exposing inefficiencies in conventional extraction and offering a path to improve supply security.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>By reprocessing tailings rather than mining new ore, Western producers can reduce environmental impact and challenge China's rare earth processing monopoly through smarter flowsheets.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n<p><em>A new open-access study led by K. Yamini of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/about\/learning-teaching\/science-engineering\/wa-school-of-mines\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"external-link\">Curtin University\u2019s Western Australian School of Mines<span class=\"sr-only\"> (opens in a new tab)<\/span><\/a>, working with Laurence Dyer, Jonah Gamutan, and Bogale Tadesse, tackles one of the rare earth industry\u2019s quiet inefficiencies: the loss of valuable rare earth elements (REEs) in processing waste.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"margin: 0px;padding: 0px\"><em>Published in Resources, Conservation and Recycling (February 2026), the\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0921344925005555\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"external-link\"><em>paper<\/em><span class=\"sr-only\"> (opens in a new tab)<\/span><\/a><em>\u00a0demonstrates that acid crack leach (ACL) residue\u2014a byproduct of conventional rare earth extraction\u2014can be reprocessed to recover roughly 65% of remaining rare earths, using recyclable organic acids rather than harsh mineral reagents.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Curtin University\u2019s Western Australian School of Mines<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/rareearthexchanges.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/rare-earth-processing-waste-1.jpg\" alt=\"\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>For readers unfamiliar with <a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" href=\"https:\/\/rareearthexchanges.com\/?post_type=acf-post-type&amp;p=38\" title=\"News\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"99704\">rare earth<\/a> processing, the significance is simple: material that is currently discarded as waste often contains rare earth concentrations comparable to fresh ore. Recovering it improves supply security, lowers environmental impact, and slightly loosens the global chokehold created by China\u2019s dominance in rare earth processing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How the Study Works<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Conventional rare earth extraction uses sulfuric acid roasting and leaching to dissolve rare earths from ores such as monazite. What\u2019s left behind\u2014ACL residue\u2014is rich in iron phosphate and sulphates and still contains meaningful rare earth content (about 2.8% total REE in this study).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead of sending this residue to tailings, the researchers applied a two-stage \u201ctechnospheric mining\u201d process:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" href=\"https:\/\/rareearthexchanges.com\/news\/rare-earth-refinings-chemical-choke-points-can-the-west-break-free\/\" title=\"Rare Earth Refining\u2019s Chemical Choke Points: Can the West Break Free?\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"99103\">Oxalic acid<\/a> leaching is used to break down the residue and mobilize rare earths.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>EDTA leaching to selectively complex and recover rare earths that reprecipitate or remain trapped.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>By carefully controlling acid concentration and dosing\u2014sometimes adding oxalic acid gradually rather than all at once\u2014the team reduced contamination from iron and phosphorus and improved selectivity. The result: overall rare earth recovery of ~65%, the highest reported for this specific waste stream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Key Findings That Matter<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Waste is not waste: ACL residue contains rare earth grades comparable to some mined ores, revealing systemic inefficiencies in today\u2019s flowsheets.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Organic acids can work at scale\u2014on paper: Oxalic acid and EDTA are recyclable, offering a lower-toxicity alternative to traditional reagents.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Process behavior is kinetic, not simple chemistry: Recovery depends heavily on dosing strategy and timing, not just equilibrium chemistry.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Flexibility beats bespoke designs: The flowsheet proved adaptable across different residues, suggesting broader applicability beyond a single mine.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why This Matters in a China-Dominated Supply Chain<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>China still controls the overwhelming majority of global rare earth processing capacity, not because it mines the most ore, but because it extracts and separates material more completely. This study underscores a critical point: processing efficiency is power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If Western producers can recover more rare earths from existing waste streams, they will reduce reliance on new mining, cut costs, and marginally weaken China\u2019s processing monopoly. Tailings reprocessing won\u2019t replace primary supply\u2014but it can meaningfully stretch each ton of ore further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Limitations and Open Questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This is not a silver bullet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Recovery is not 100%: About one-third of rare earths remain unrecovered.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reagent intensity remains high: Although recyclable, oxalic acid consumption is substantial and must be optimized for commercial scale.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pilot-scale economics are untested: Laboratory success does not guarantee industrial viability without cost and throughput validation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Industry funding disclosed: The research received support from Lynas Rare Earths and Western Australian institutions\u2014transparent, but worth noting.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Bottom Line<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This study shows that closing the loop in rare earth processing is technically feasible today, not decades away. By mining the waste of yesterday\u2019s extraction plants, producers can improve sustainability, economics, and supply resilience\u2014critical goals in a world racing toward electrification and clean energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>China\u2019s advantage in rare earths has always been about processing discipline. This paper is a reminder that smarter flowsheets\u2014not just new mines\u2014are where the next gains will be found.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Citation<\/strong>: Yamini, K., Dyer, L., Gamutan, J., &amp; Tadesse, B. (2026). <em>Closing the loop in conventional rare Earth extraction: Treatment of acid crack leach residue using organic acids.<\/em> Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 226, 108678. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.resconrec.2025.108678\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"external-link\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.resconrec.2025.108678<span class=\"sr-only\"> (opens in a new tab)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00a9!-- \/wp:paragraph --&gt;<\/p><span class=\"et_bloom_bottom_trigger\"><\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Curtin study shows acid crack leach residue can recover 65% of rare earths using recyclable organic acids, reducing China&#8217;s processing dominance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":20662,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"news-type":[122,123,128],"organization":[325],"regions":[315,322],"class_list":["post-20661","news-archive","type-news-archive","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-type-ree-news","news-type-clean-energy-technology","news-type-industrial-applications","organization-lynas-rare-earths","regions-china","regions-western-australia"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rareearthexchanges.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-archive\/20661","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rareearthexchanges.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-archive"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rareearthexchanges.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news-archive"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rareearthexchanges.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rareearthexchanges.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20661"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/rareearthexchanges.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-archive\/20661\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":77869,"href":"https:\/\/rareearthexchanges.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-archive\/20661\/revisions\/77869"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rareearthexchanges.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20662"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rareearthexchanges.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20661"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rareearthexchanges.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-type?post=20661"},{"taxonomy":"organization","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rareearthexchanges.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/organization?post=20661"},{"taxonomy":"regions","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rareearthexchanges.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/regions?post=20661"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}