JNARDDC develops process to recover strategic rare earths from red mud

The Jawaharlal Nehru Aluminium Research Development and Design Centre (JNARDDC) announced the development of a technology for the recovery of strategic rare earths from the waste generated from aluminium industry. The new process will recover rare earth metals (REMs) from red mud which can be easily available from aluminium industries and are considered as a hazardous waste.

Anupam Agnihotri, Director of JNARDDC, said: “Red mud contains certain very expensive REMs which are largely used in electronic and defence industry. We are looking for three major metals — scandium, lanthanum and cerium — as they are present in relatively significant quantity. Of these, scandium costs Rs10,00 per one gram.”

 “If this works well, we would set up a pilot scale plant with guidance from the Indian Rare Earths Limited in Mumbai, which has the expertise in extraction,” he added.

The INR 1.05 crore project is being funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), government of India, for three years, according to TOI.

Dr Upendra Kumar Singh, Senior Scientist, JNARDDC and Principal Investigator of the project said, “Till recent past, China has been providing 95 to 97 per cent of REMs worldwide and has demonstrated its ability to control and limit their exports. Therefore, it is crucial that India quickly explore, expand and exploit available sources including industrial wastes for recovering the valuable mineral wealth to meet the growing domestic demand to a larger extent.”