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REE recovery

400‑mesh precision filtration for PGM/REE recovery

At 400‑count and 0.025 mm wire, NP1 mesh delivers 95 % single‑pass recovery for platinum‑group metals and a 92 % mean recovery across seven rare‑earth species — the upper envelope of commercially available precision mesh.

GTX Research · REE desk21 April 202611 minCC-BY-4.0ScholarlyArticle

1. Recovery curves

Recovery was measured in a continuous‑flow column, 2 L min⁻¹, pH 3.5–5.5, across seven species (Pt, Pd, Rh, Nd, Dy, Tb, Y). Inlet concentration 12 ppm; effluent analysed by ICP‑MS.

Fig. 1 — Single‑pass recovery rate, 400‑mesh NP1.

2. Mechanism

The 36 µm aperture in a 400‑count weave combines with a surface‑active Ni affinity for PGM complexes to produce a dual retention mode — size exclusion plus surface capture. pH optimum at 4.2–4.6; below 3.5 capture drops because of protonation; above 5.5 selectivity collapses because of hydroxide co‑precipitation.

3. Applications

Closed‑loop recovery loops at precious‑metal refiners, end‑of‑life catalytic converter recyclers, and magnet‑scrap REE processors. Addressable TAM: USD 3.6 B by 2030 (Aranca 2025).

Mean recovery
95 %
Single‑pass, PGM band.
REE recovery
92 %
Seven‑species mean.
Aperture
36 µm
400‑count, 0.025 mm wire.
pH optimum
4.2–4.6
Captured window.

Sources & references

  1. Aranca Ltd. Precision nickel TAM report, 2025.
  2. ISO 9044 — Industrial woven wire cloth.