New lanmodulin variant yield more efficient separations

CMI at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Penn State and TdVib conducted the activity for this highlight

Innovation 
Exceptional selectivity of new lanmodulin (LanM) variant enables high-purity Dy separation from a mixed rare earth oxide (mREO) prepared from a wind turbine magnet using CMI’s Acid-free Dissolution Recycling process. 

Achievement
Discovered new LanM variant with >5-fold improvement in Dy/Nd and Dy/Pr selectivity. Starting with a mREO with 6% Dy and 94% NdPr, a single adsorption/desorption cycle generated a Dy fraction (98% purity, 80% yield) and a NdPr fraction (99.5% purity, 99% yield).

Significance and Impact
Higher selectivity enables more efficient separation, meaning lower water and chemical consumption. 

Hub Target Addressed 
Developing highly selective separation from complex sources.
 

image of a line graph and a bar graph
A single LanM column loading enables Dy separation from Nd/Pr starting from a mixed REO derived from an end-of-life wind turbine magnet. Separation was achieved using a pH-mediated elution process that leverages this new LanM’s high selectivity for Nd/Pr over Dy.