--- title: Mining batteries for minerals description: One of the long-standing problems of battery technology is what to do with the waste. image: https://betterworld.solutions/hubfs/420x420.jpeg --- Together as business leaders, we can make a difference. 'Heroes of Net Zero' [Follow Us](https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-rea-8961b617/detail/recent-activity/posts/) [![](https://betterworld.solutions/hubfs/raw_assets/public/bw-theme/images/bw-logo-01.svg)](https://betterworld.solutions/) - - [Why we are taking action](https://betterworld.solutions/statement) - [Real World Examples](https://betterworld.solutions/examples) - [Net Zero Training](https://betterworld.solutions/net-zero-sustainability-training) - [Create your own Policy](https://betterworld.solutions/form) - Menu Menu # Mining batteries for minerals ![Battery mining facility in operation](https://betterworld.solutions/hs-fs/hubfs/Social%20Media%202021/Mining/open-pit-mining-1327116_1920.jpg?width=1920&height=1059&name=open-pit-mining-1327116_1920.jpg "Battery mining facility in operation") ## One of the long-standing problems of battery technology is what to do with the waste. Now a research team at the US Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory says why not mine the e-waste? The PNNL research team used a simple mixed-salt water-based solution and their knowledge of metal properties to separate valuable minerals in continuously flowing reaction chambers, in a method similar to the way in which a prism splits light into its constituent colours. Materials separation scientist Qingpu Wang presented their potential solution for selectively recovering  manganese, magnesium, dysprosium, and neodymium - minerals critical to modern electronics – from spent batteries, at this year’s Spring Meeting of the Materials Research Society (MRS), in Seattle, USA. Now that’s clever – and a potential solution to all these dead batteries going to landfill. 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