This present disclosure provides a rare earth additive and a method for preparing the rare earth additive to be used in production of clean energy or high-value chemicals, by which utilization of low-rank coal and biomass resources is achieved. The rare earth additive of the present disclosure is composed of rare earth chlorides, mixed rare earth chlorides, and rare earth nitrates, and can be used as additive for biochemical reactions between microorganisms and substances to be transformed, so as to improve the microbial activity in biochemical reactions. The rare earth additive promotes the transformation of low-rank coal (peat, lignite, sub-bituminous coal, weathered coal, coal gangue) and biomass into clean energy sources such as biomethane, biohydrogen, or bioethanol and high-value chemicals such as fulvic acid, water-soluble humic acid, benzoic acid, benzaldehyde, benzyl alcohol. The carbon reduction transformation of high-carbon resources such as low-rank coal and biomass may be achieved.

This present disclosure provides a rare earth additive and a method for preparing the rare earth additive to be used in production of clean energy or high-value chemicals, by which utilization of low-rank coal and biomass resources is achieved. The rare earth additive of the present disclosure is composed of rare earth chlorides, mixed rare earth chlorides, and rare earth nitrates, and can be used as additive for biochemical reactions between microorganisms and substances to be transformed, so as to improve the microbial activity in biochemical reactions. The rare earth additive promotes the transformation of low-rank coal (peat, lignite, sub-bituminous coal, weathered coal, coal gangue) and biomass into clean energy sources such as biomethane, biohydrogen, or bioethanol and high-value chemicals such as fulvic acid, water-soluble humic acid, benzoic acid, benzaldehyde, benzyl alcohol. The carbon reduction transformation of high-carbon resources such as low-rank coal and biomass may be achieved.

A rare earth metal extracting bacterial consortium can include an acid secreting bacterium, a heavy metal resistant bacterium, an iron-sequestering molecule secreting bacterium, and a rare earth metal sequestering bacterium. In another example, a composition can include a growth medium and a bacterial consortium growing in the growth medium. The growth medium can include water, magnesium sulfate, manganese chloride, cobalt chloride, calcium chloride, ammonium sulfate, soluble starch, and amino acids. The bacterial consortium can include an acid secreting bacterium, a heavy metal resistant bacterium, an iron-sequestering molecule secreting bacterium, and a rare earth metal sequestering bacterium.

A rare earth metal extracting bacterial consortium can include an acid secreting bacterium, a heavy metal resistant bacterium, an iron-sequestering molecule secreting bacterium, and a rare earth metal sequestering bacterium. In another example, a composition can include a growth medium and a bacterial consortium growing in the growth medium. The growth medium can include water, magnesium sulfate, manganese chloride, cobalt chloride, calcium chloride, ammonium sulfate, soluble starch, and amino acids. The bacterial consortium can include an acid secreting bacterium, a heavy metal resistant bacterium, an iron-sequestering molecule secreting bacterium, and a rare earth metal sequestering bacterium.