Enviromentally Friendly Leaching Solution

Project Overview

University

Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP)

Year

2025

About

This sustainable leaching approach enables safer extraction of rare earth elements (REEs) from ion-adsorption clays. Using biodegradable organic acids instead of harsh chemicals, it selectively dissolves REEs under mild conditions while reducing toxic by-products. The process delivers more than 25% higher efficiency than conventional methods and supports urban mining and greener recovery from diverse feedstocks. Scalable and adaptable, it provides a cleaner pathway for REE producers and recyclers, helping to power the green and digital transition

Team

Nur Insyirah Binti Zulkifli

Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP)

Insyirah Zulkifli is a research scientist and first-semester PhD candidate at Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP), specializing in sustainable rare earth extraction and green hydrometallurgy. She is pioneering the Environmentally-friendly Leaching Solution (ELS), a biodegradable alternative to conventional ammonium leaching for ion-adsorption clays. Her work has been published in [Journal of Rare Earths, 2024], [Journal of Industrial and Engineeing Chemistry, 2025] and recognized through an intellectual property (IP) patent filing [application no: PI2023007953] for innovation in clean technology. Her goal is to reduce environmental pollution, secure critical materials, and drive a circular economy for renewable energy and advanced industries.

https://www.instagram.com/insyirahzul_/