Compost to Computer: Bio-Based Materials Used to Salvage Rare Earth Elements

Researchers at Penn State recently discovered a new use for composted material.

By taking this material and turning it into micro- or nanoscale particles, researchers found they can be used to help extract rare metals used in electronics for reuse.

Metals such as magnets are a common material used in many electronics but can be tricky to remove. They discovered this method for separating useful metals from the aqueous solutions surrounding them. 

Read more here.