Photo of the Week: Rare Earth Elements Separation

Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) invented groundbreaking CLEARS technology that will revolutionize the separation of REEs, a critical resource for technology advancement and growth. This novel separation technology uses a single “chameleonic” material that shifts its selectivity among light, medium, or heavy rare earth elements (REEs) under different extraction conditions (e.g., contact time, acid concentration, temperature) to target the specific subset of REEs required at any given time.

CLEARS bridges the gap between traditional solvent extractants and smart, responsive systems. Its selective, responsive, and crystallization-compatible properties make it a transformative solution for precision-driven and sustainable REE recovery. By enabling a single ligand to adapt to various REE separation challenges, CLEARS ushers in a new era of precision and cost-effectiveness. It addresses a critical bottleneck in advanced manufacturing and energy systems, offering a clear path to scalable and secure REE supplies.

As the world demands increasingly higher-purity critical minerals, CLEARS stands out as its innovation to reshape the landscape of REE production and separation, delivering tangible benefits to industry, the environment, and society at large.

Photo Credit: Alonda Hines, Oak Ridge National Laboratory