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Volume 69, Issue 2
  • ISSN: 2056-5135
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  • oa Review of Recovery and Purification Processes of Rare Earth Elements from Nickel-Metal Hydride Spent Batteries

    Circular economy for renewable resources

  • Authors: M Widya Aryani1, Azwar Manaf2, Erik Prasetyo3, Diah Susanti4, Anton Sapto Handoko5, Fajar Nurjaman5, Ulin Herlina5, Rikson Siburian6 and Fathan Bahfie7
  • Affiliations: 1 Postgraduate Programme of Materials Science, Department of Physics, Building F, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Depok Campus, University of Indonesia, West Java, Depok, 16424, Indonesia; Research Centre of Mining Technology, National Research and Innovation Agency of Indonesia, South Lampung, Lampung, 35361, Indonesia 2 Postgraduate Programme of Materials Science, Department of Physics, Building F, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Depok Campus, University of Indonesia, West Java, Depok, 16424, Indonesia 3 Research Centre of Mining Technology, National Research and Innovation Agency of Indonesia, South Lampung, Lampung, 35361, Indonesia;, Department of Chemical Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), NO-7491, Trondheim, Norway 4 Metallurgical and Material Engineering Department, Faculty of Industrial Technology and Systems Engineering, Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology, Building MT 2nd Floor, ITS Sukolilo Campus, Surabaya, 60111, Indonesia 5 Research Centre of Mining Technology, National Research and Innovation Agency of Indonesia, South Lampung, Lampung, 35361, Indonesia 6 Chemistry Department, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Jl. Dr. T. Mansur No. 9, Padang Bulan Campus, Medan, North Sumatera, 20155, Indonesia; Carbon Research Centre, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Jl. Dr. T. Mansur No. 9, Padang Bulan Campus, Medan, North Sumatera, 20155, Indonesia 7 Research Centre of Mining Technology, National Research and Innovation Agency of Indonesia, South Lampung, Lampung, 35361, Indonesia
    Email: *[email protected] §[email protected]
  • Source: Johnson Matthey Technology Review, Volume 69, Issue 2, Apr 2025, p. 158 - 169
  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1595/205651325X17170604890774
    • Received: 21 Apr 2024
    • Accepted: 28 May 2024

Abstract

The concept of a circular economy for rare earth elements (REEs) is being developed. The circular economy involves optimising the lifecycle of products to achieve sustainable and efficient consumption. REEs are considered critical elements of high economic value. Considering limited rare earth reserves, secondary source REEs are very important to sustainable use. Spent nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) batteries are electronic waste containing valuable REEs. Ni-MH batteries that have reached their age limit, if thrown away, will become hazardous waste. Recycling Ni-MH battery waste efficiently enables REEs to be recovered and reused. The REE recovery process has challenges that must be considered such as efficiency, low REE concentration, environmental concerns and scalability, thus requiring the development of new, efficient recovery methods and processes for REE. Currently the hydrometallurgical method is preferred for REE recovery from Ni-MH batteries because it has high yields, low energy requirements, ease of separation from base metals and low greenhouse gas emissions. One such REE recovery using hydrochloric acid on a pilot scale yielded 91.6% lanthanum.

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Review of Recovery and Purification Processes of Rare Earth Elements from Nickel-Metal Hydride Spent Batteries
Johnson Matthey Technology Review 69, 158 (2025); https://doi.org/10.1595/205651325X17170604890774
/content/journals/10.1595/205651325X17170604890774
/content/journals/10.1595/205651325X17170604890774
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  • Article Type: Review Article
Keyword(s): circular economy; Ni-MH spent battery; rare earth element

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