Cellulose Breakthrough Could Simplify Rare Earths Separation

A team of researchers at Penn State have developed a plant-based nanomaterial capable of selectively extracting dysprosium from rare earth mixtures, according to a recent report.

The findings published in the study detail how the team engineered a modified form of cellulose capable of isolating dysprosium, a heavy rare earth element used in semiconductors, electric motors, and generators.

Rare earths tend to occur together in nature and share nearly identical chemical properties, making separation complex and costly. Commercial processes typically rely on large-scale solvent extraction systems that require extensive chemical inputs and multiple repetitive stages to achieve high purity.

“As technology advances, manufacturers will need more and more dysprosium — some forecasts estimate the demand for this material may surge over 2,500 percent in the next 25 years,” said Amir Sheikhi, associate professor of chemical engineering at Penn State.

The research builds on earlier work by the team, which previously used cellulose-based compounds to recover neodymium from electronic waste.

In the latest study, the focus shifted to dysprosium and the challenge of separating heavier rare earth elements from lighter ones more efficiently.

To achieve this, the researchers modified cellulose at the molecular level, creating nanoscale crystalline particles roughly 100 nanometers long. When introduced into a water-based mixture containing both neodymium and dysprosium, the nanocellulose selectively captured dysprosium through adsorption.

The team observed that the modified cellulose chains behaved differently in the presence of dysprosium, effectively isolating it from the mixture.

“Separating rare earth elements from one another has been extremely difficult, due to the metals’ very similar chemical structures,” Sheikhi explained. “We have been looking for a reliable way to separate heavy elements like dysprosium from lighter elements like neodymium, while avoiding the negative environmental side effects that come from current separation approaches.”

The simplicity of the approach contrasts sharply with traditional rare earth separation facilities, which often require sprawling industrial plants and dozens of equilibrium stages to achieve magnet-grade purity.

Industry studies have shown that separating similar rare earth elements can require upward of 60 repetitive extraction stages, underscoring the technical barrier that has helped concentrate processing capacity in countries such as China.

China currently accounts for the majority of global rare earth processing, particularly for heavy rare earth elements like dysprosium that are critical for high-temperature magnets and defense applications.

The Penn State team argues that a cellulose-based system could reduce chemical usage and lower the environmental footprint of rare earth recovery if successfully scaled.

Future work will focus on refining the material and testing its ability to isolate additional rare earth elements.

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Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.