Highlights
- Chinese researchers demonstrate high-efficiency rare earth element recovery from Bayan Obo industrial waste using hydrogen-based mineral phase transformation (HMPT) technology.
- The method enables the extraction of 7.05% REE content from previously unrecoverable tailings.
- Potential to repurpose millions of tons of waste.
- Research provides strategic advantages for China’s rare earth production.
- Highlights technological innovation in critical mineral processing.
Scientists affiliated with Northeastern University, Shenyang (opens in a new tab), demonstrate High efficiency rare earth element (REE) recovery from Bayan Obo Waste.
A groundbreaking paper published in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy (opens in a new tab) (July 2025) by lead author Dr. Pengcheng Tian and colleagues at Northeastern University, China, outlines a promising new method to reclaim valuable rare earth elements (REEs) from industrial waste using a hydrogen-based mineral phase transformation (HMPT) process. The research, focused on tailings from China’s massive Bayan Obo deposit, has direct implications for global rare earth supply chains, particularly as the U.S. and China navigate turbulent trade relations.
Study Hypothesis & Method
The research team hypothesized that applying HMPT technology, which involves gas-solid reactions and controlled phase changes, could unlock significant REE value from waste ore that had long been considered unrecoverable. Using a suite of advanced analytical tools, including the BPMA (Process Mineralogy Analyzer) and XRD, the team mapped the mineral structure of preconcentrated Bayan Obo tailings, focusing on four light rare-earth elements (REEs): lanthanum (La), cerium (Ce), praseodymium (Pr), and neodymium (Nd).
Key Findings
- The total REE content in the tested waste was 7.05%, with Ce (3.65%) and La (1.65%) being most abundant.
- REEs were primarily locked in bastnaesite, monazite, and parisite, often coexisting with fluorite and iron oxides.
- The ore showed low mineral liberation, historically limiting recovery.
- The HMPT process, when combined with magnetic separation and flotation, enables the efficient separation of REEs, offering a theoretical basis for semi-industrial-scale deployment.
Commercial Implications
This process could repurpose tens of millions of tons of waste at Bayan Obo—potentially enhancing China’s already dominant role in rare earth element (REE) extraction and processing. With China controlling more than 90% of global rare earth element (REE) magnet production, this advancement would strengthen its strategic chokehold on a material critical to electric vehicles (EVs), wind turbines, defense systems, and clean technology.
The method also lowers environmental costs, a key barrier for Western nations hesitant to revive domestic mining. By contrast, the U.S. continues to face high capital costs, labor constraints, and a fragmented refining ecosystem. Meanwhile, China is now extracting more value from its legacy waste than most Western nations can from active mines.
Limitations
The study, while methodologically strong, remains at a semi-industrial scale. Long-term scalability, cost-efficiency, and real-world environmental impacts are still being assessed. Moreover, the findings are specific to Bayan Obo’s unique mineralogy and may not directly apply to deposits elsewhere.
Conclusion
This innovation marks a critical strategic edge for China as it modernizes its rare earth supply chain using advanced hydrogen-based processes. For the West, the takeaway is clear: unless domestic processing capacity and innovation accelerate, reliance on China will deepen—even as tensions rise.
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