Ames National Laboratory's Critical Materials Institute is featured in the the most recent edition of Nature Outlook, on the subject of the circular economy. In an article titled "Short-circuiting the electronic-waste crisis," Nature presents the current research landscape for making the recycling of e-waste more economically feasible and environmentally friendly. It includes the work of Ames Lab and Critical Materials Institute scientist Ikenna Nlebedim.
"Nlebedim and colleagues have developed an alternative, acid-free approach to hydrometallurgy for recovering rare-earth elements in the permanent magnets that are commonly found in hard drives and motors. The researchers identified reaction conditions in which the valuable magnetic components are selectively dissolved at neutral pH while leaving other materials intact, which means that minimal processing is required before recycling. "
News Link: Short-circuiting the electronic-waste crisis