University of Agriculture Faisalabad scientist Dr Sadia Ilyas in collaboration with JeonBuk National University Korea has made a breakthrough to utilize rare earth elements for the development of high technology in Pakistan that will redress the import bill worth billions of rupees.
The pilot research project was carried in Korea and it would be replicated in Pakistan. Dr Sadia Ilyas said although Pakistan is exploiting its rare earth reserves at present but the newly developed technology can be applicable to the low grades ores which remained unexploited to-date and will help contribute a lot to economy of Pakistan. She said that rare earth elements are critical components in many high modern and environmental technologies. Pakistani rare earth resources are weather crust and low grade so need efficient technological development.
The technology is developed involving bio assisted leaching followed by solo chemical recovery process for the exploitation of Korean monazite.
She said that a part of the research had been published in top five international journals in the Journal of Cleaner Production. The group leader Hyunjung Kim said that the study approaches cleaner production of high purity rare earth elements under the United Nation Sustainable Development Goals.
The process can potentially contribute to mitigating the supply risks of REEs by cleaner processing of sulfuric acid leach solutions of low-grade monazite with the applications of re-useable organic extractants.
