ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | MAY/JUNE 2023 7 REEs and separate impurities very efficiently. In addition, they found that supercritical carbon dioxide decreased the concentrations of impurities in the final REE product. Ultimately, their final products contained up to 6.47% REEs, compared with 0.0234% in the initial coal fly ash source. The new method eliminates the need to roast raw materials at extremely high temperatures, or greater than 500°C, and removes the need to extract the REEs with strong acids and a large quantity of toxic organic solvents, which also become a waste product in traditional extraction processes. wustl.edu. POTATO STARCH INSPIRES NEW PLASTIC MATERIAL Researchers from the University of Alicante in Spain developed a process for creating a water-soluble plastic material based on potato starch. According to the researchers, this new material is compostable and biodegradable and is suitable for use as a flexible film, in addition to having great advantages over existing materials. The researchers’ plastic is also highly stable and has a low migration rate. Team member Ignacio Martín Gullón explains the technology is intended for use in the packaging and single-use plastics industry as a direct replacement for conventional alternatives. The patented technology allows for a wide range of mechanical property manipulation, enabling manufacturers to tailor products to the needs of their clients. www.ua.es/en. Ignacio Martín Gullón (left) and Daniel Domene López with their potato starch at the University of Alicante. Courtesy of Asociacion RUVID.
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