English oak buds are processing rare earth elements

A bacterium found in English oak buds has demonstrated its ability to accurately process rare earth elements.

Penn State scientists uncovered the ability of the English oak bud to process and differentiate between a number of rare earth elements that are vital in the production of green technologies, including electric batteries, wind turbines, solar panels, and everyday modern tech. This breakthrough is significant for net zero strategies and targets, since previous methods of mining and separating rare earth elements have been energy-intensive, often incorporating the use of toxic, hard to dispose of chemicals.

How does it work?

This new oak bud technique utilises bacterium, called Hansschlegelia quercus, within the oak bud which binds with other units of itself when it is bound to certain rare earth elements. This is key since the bacterium remains as a single unit when bound to other, non-rare earth elements, giving scientists a clear indicator of the difference between the two.

This method of rare earth differentiation is not energy intensive, taking place at room temperature, and doesn’t involve toxic chemicals, such as kerosene, in its process. In fact, the entire process is seen as an efficient one-step shortcut when compared with previous methodologies.

Progress for green tech 

The method of using English oak bud bacterium to differentiate between rare earth elements has multiple benefits. Firstly, it will help to identify rare earth elements in the initial mining process, but, perhaps more significantly, this new technique will be a key player for circular economy solutions, helping to identify and separate rare earth elements from existing technology with recyclable elements, saving them from going to waste.  

Sustainably sourcing and recycling rare earth elements is a major component of the net zero transition, as supply chain issues and mining practices with both environmental and ethical concerns damage sustainability claims for a number of green technologies. While rare earth elements are relatively abundant and tend to group together in the Earth’s crust on account of their similar properties, sustainable techniques for extraction and differentiation signify major scientific progress for the green technologies sector.

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