French-American chemist makes major breakthrough in recycling of rare earths
One of your browser extensions seems to be blocking the video player from loading. To watch this content, you may need to disable it on this site.
Rare earth elements, which are crucial for the defence, auto and electronic industries, have become a geopolitical battleground. On Wednesday, the EU unveiled a €3 billion plan to curb its dependence on China for rare earths, since Beijing controls 95 percent of the world's supply. But a young French-American scientist has developed a groundbreaking process for recovering rare earths from neon light bulbs and potentially other electronic appliances, paving the way for the recycling of these essential metals. Our Down to Earth team reports.
