Biological twist: Engineered proteins separate rare earth elements with over 90% purity
SMRTR summary
Battelle researchers have engineered proteins that can separate rare earth elements with over 90% purity in a single processing stage, a major improvement over conventional chemical methods that require many repeated steps. Tested on lanthanum and neodymium, the proteins recognize and bind to specific elements within mixed material streams. This could help the US reduce its dependence on foreign rare earth processing for electronics, electric vehicles, and defense equipment.
SMRTR provides this summary for quick context. The original article belongs to Interesting Engineering.
Read the original article