Advanced Adsorbent Materials for Sustainable Recovery of Light Rare Earth Elements: A Review and Bibliometric Study

Abstract

The expected global demand for light rare earth elements (LREEs) such as lanthanum, cerium, neodymium, praseodymium, promethium, samarium, and europium has increased the demand for sustainable, environment-friendly, and efficient recovery technology. LREEs are crucial components of high-tech manufacturing and applications such as electronics, renewable energy, and catalytic systems. However, the traditional methods often pose economic and environmental challenges due to the high energy usage, secondary pollution, and limited resources. This paper reviews the latest trends in adsorption-based recovery methods with a particular interest in developing advanced adsorbent materials and a bibliometric analysis to identify key trends and research gaps.