What are rare earth elements? Four questions answered

Most Americans use rare earth elements every day – without knowing it, or knowing anything about what they do. That could change, as these unusual materials are becoming a focal point in the escalating trade war between ...

Biomining the elements of the future

Biomining is the kind of technique promised by science fiction: a vast tank filled with microorganisms that leach metal from ore, old mobile phones and hard drives.

Researchers explore how atoms align in magnetic materials

The atoms inside materials are not always perfectly ordered, as usually depicted in models. In magnetic, ferroelectric (or showing electric polarity) and alloy materials, there is competition between random arrangement of ...

New acid-free magnet recycling process

A new rare-earth magnet recycling process developed by researchers at the Critical Materials Institute (CMI) dissolves magnets in an acid-free solution and recovers high purity rare earth elements. For shredded magnet-containing ...

ORNL licenses rare earth magnet recycling process

The Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Momentum Technologies have signed a non-exclusive licensing agreement for an ORNL process designed to recover rare earth magnets from used computer hard drives.

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