Improving the separation and purification of high technology lanthanides (ref: SF22/HLS/APP/LEWIS)

Lanthanides (or ‘rare earths’) are widely used as key components in high technology devices, including smart phones, digital cameras, computer hard disks, fluorescent and light-emitting-diode (LED) lights, flat screen televisions, computer monitors, high performance magnets and electronic displays. The global market size for lanthanides was estimated to be $2.6 billion in 2020, and this is projected to grow to $5.5 billion in 2028. Despite rising global demand, supply of lanthanides is currently dwindling, and approx. 85% of the world’s supply comes from China. There is therefore an urgent need to diversify global supply of these economically valuable metals, as well as to develop methods to recover lanthanides from other sources such as mining and electronic wastes.

Solvent extraction is accepted as the most appropriate industrial technology for separating and purifying lanthanides from their ores. However, individual lanthanides are very difficult to separate from each other due to their similar chemical properties. The separation of the lanthanides from each other is based on small differences in size. Consequently, the selectivity of one lanthanide over another shown by the extracting agents used in industry is very low, which means many mixing stages (typically hundreds) are needed to achieve a complete chemical separation of each lanthanide from the others in a refining process. This makes the overall process more costly to run at scale, and produces large volumes of solvent waste, which further increases the environmental footprint of the process. In addition, contamination of the lanthanide-containing ores with uranium and thorium requires the separation of these radionuclides from the lanthanides, which further complicates the refining process.

This project builds on our previous experience in the design of molecules for the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuels. By combining the extracting agents currently used in the lanthanide refining industry with novel molecules, the project aims to develop an improved, streamlined solvent extraction process for separation and purification of the lanthanides that requires less stages to run and produces less solvent waste. The proposed studentship will aim to:

·        Design and synthesize novel molecules to improve the separation and purification of lanthanides.

·        Evaluate the separation performance of the molecules by solvent extraction experiments.

·        Immobilize promising molecules onto solid phases (eg: silica) for use in lanthanide purification by extraction chromatography. 

Eligibility and How to Apply:

Please note eligibility requirement:

•      Academic excellence of the proposed student i.e. 2:1 (or equivalent GPA from non- UK universities [preference for 1st class honours]); or a Masters (preference for Merit or above)

•      Appropriate IELTS score, if required

For further details of how to apply, entry requirements and the application form, see https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/research/postgraduate-research-degrees/how-to-apply/

Please note: All applications must include a covering letter (up to 1000 words maximum) including why you are interested in this PhD, a summary of the relevant experience you can bring to this project and of your understanding of this subject area with relevant references (beyond the information already provided in the advert). Applications that do not include the advert reference (e.g. SF22/…) will not be considered.

Deadline for applications: Ongoing

Start Date: 1^st October and 1^st March are the standard cohort start dates each year.

Northumbria University takes pride in, and values, the quality and diversity of our staff and students. We welcome applications from all members of the community.

Informal enquiries to Dr Frank Lewis ([Email Address Removed])