Research Status and Prospect of Rare Earth Adsorption and Separation Materials

Due to the similarity of rare earth elements and their association with other metal ions, the deep separation of rare earth elements has always been a significant challenge. Adsorption is an effective method for selective separation of rare earth elements, in which adsorption separation material plays an essential role. This paper first expounds on the theoretical basis of separation and adsorption mechanisms. It was summarized that the application of resin materials, silica-based materials, carbon-based materials, coordination polymer materials, ore materials and biomaterials in rare earth separation. We also discussed the critical influencing factors in the adsorption process. And we proposed the development trend of rare earth adsorption and separation, providing a relevant reference for the research of adsorption and separation materials in the industry.