Dublin: Irish researchers have developed a unique method using eggshells to extract rare earth elements from water.
Researchers from Trinity College Dublin’s School of Natural Sciences and the Irish Center for Research in Applied Geosciences (ICRAG) have reported that calcium carbonate (calcite) found in eggshells effectively binds rare earth elements. Can absorb and separate from water.
In the study, the scientists placed eggshells in a solution containing elements between 25 degrees Celsius and 205 degrees Celsius for three months.
The study found that the elements were absorbed into the eggshells at elevated temperatures through the process of diffusion, and new minerals were deposited on the shells.
In a statement, Dr. Remi Ratiu, the head of the research, said that this research offers a creative use of the use of waste materials that can be compatible with the principles of the circular economy in addition to sustainable solutions to the problem of obtaining rare elements.
