An innovative effort to redefine nuclear waste management in the European Union has been launched. The "MaLaR - Novel 2D-3D Materials for Lanthanide Recovery from Nuclear Waste" project will use novel separation techniques to investigate the recyclability of nuclear waste.
With a generous grant of 2.3 million euros, this three-year initiative brings together experts from Germany, France, Sweden, and Romania, aiming to transform nuclear waste into valuable raw materials.
Prof. Kristina Kvashnina and her team at the Helmholtz-Zentrum-Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) challenge the conventional belief that nuclear waste is an end-product with limited options.
Backed by the European Union, their project seeks to harvest lanthanides, vital components in technology from batteries to medical equipment, from the depths of nuclear waste.
"Our goal is to engineer a breakthrough material that initially isolates individual elements from synthetic mixtures. While we are starting with small steps, the vision is set on vast applications soon," explains Prof. Kvashnina. This project promises a radical change in nuclear waste management by recycling permanently stored radioactive materials.
Lanthanides comprise a crucial group of chemical elements, occupying positions 58 to 71 on the modern periodic table, and include several rare Earth elements. These elements are widely used in modern technology, found in everything from smartphone screens and electric vehicle batteries to MRI contrast agents and powerful magnets. Despite their extensive use and indispensable role in various technologies, lanthanides are scarce and mainly sourced from China, presenting a strategic vulnerability in global supply chains.
Professor Kristina Kvashnina, the project coordinator and a leading physicist at HZDR's Institute of Resource Ecology, articulates the strategic imperative behind their innovative approach: "By recycling lanthanides from nuclear waste, we aim not only to secure a sustainable source of these precious materials but also to reduce dependency on external suppliers." Kvashnina, who also holds a professorship at Université Grenoble Alpes in France, emphasizes the benefits of this initiative, which is enhancing resource efficiency while contributing to environmental sustainability.
The MaLaR project aligns with broader European goals of resource independence and sustainability.
Professor Kvashnina shares her enthusiasm: "The next few years are set to be a thrilling journey of discovery and innovation. By integrating experimental insights with theoretical models and material developments, we are pushing the boundaries of what's possible in waste management."
She will oversee critical experiments at the HZDR's Rossendorf Beamline (ROBL) at the European Synchrotron (ESRF) in Grenoble. New materials will undergo rigorous testing using powerful X-ray beams to assess their chemical properties.
The project leverages a range of expertise from its partners, combining advanced 2D/3D material development, the physics of radioactive elements, and cutting-edge in-situ methods for analyzing minuscule concentrations of lanthanides in radioactive contexts.
This multidisciplinary approach enhances the project's innovative capacity and makes it likely to deliver practical, market-ready solutions that could transform industry standards globally.
The separation methods developed under the MaLaR project promise to fundamentally alter how raw materials are recovered and how we interact with radioactive waste.