European Union Launches Innovative Project to Recycle Nuclear Waste into Valuable Materials

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An ambitious new initiative aimed at redefining nuclear waste management has been introduced in the European Union. The "MaLaR – Novel 2D-3D Materials for Lanthanide Recovery from Nuclear Waste" project, backed by a €2.3 million grant, aims to explore advanced separation techniques to recover useful materials from nuclear waste.

The project is led by Prof. Kristina Kvashnina from the Helmholtz-Zentrum-Dresden-Rossendorf, alongside partners from Germany, France, Sweden, and Romania. The focus is on extracting lanthanides, crucial components in various technologies, from stored radioactive materials. "Our goal is to engineer a breakthrough material that can isolate individual elements from synthetic mixtures," stated Prof. Kvashnina.

Lanthanides, which include several rare Earth elements, are vital for applications ranging from smartphone screens to electric vehicle batteries. Their scarcity and concentration in specific regions present a strategic vulnerability in supply chains. This project not only seeks to recycle these materials but also aims to reduce dependency on external sources by securing a sustainable supply.

Prof. Kvashnina emphasizes that the project's innovative approach aligns with broader EU goals of resource independence and environmental sustainability. The team plans to conduct experiments at the HZDR’s Rossendorf Beamline, utilizing powerful X-ray beams to analyze new materials.

With its multidisciplinary framework, the MaLaR project is poised to significantly advance nuclear waste management, potentially transforming industry standards on a global scale.

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