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ContactCritical Minerals and Materials
The Critical Minerals and Materials (CMM) Program aims to rebuild U.S. leadership in extraction and processing technologies for the production of critical minerals and materials (CMM) that include rare earth elements (REE), critical minerals (originally defined by the U.S. Geological Survey [USGS]), and materials deemed critical by the Department of Energy (DOE), from secondary and unconventional resources to support an economical, environmentally benign, and geopolitically sustainable U.S. domestic supply chain.
Unconventional CMM resources include any resource from a geologic or secondary byproduct host that is distinctive from the mechanisms resulting in conventional, established deposits. Unconventional CMM can be sourced from in situ geologic deposits or from secondary byproducts of anthropogenic processes. These sources require revised or new methods and models to characterize and assess that focus on the unique source and temporal controls resulting in these deposits.
Examples of secondary and unconventional resources include:
- Sedimentary deposits such as coal, black shale, tonsteins (clay-altered volcanic ash), coal underclays, and marine phosphates.
- Secondary byproducts derived from mining and fossil-energy related waste streams such as produced water, coal fly ash, acid mine drainage, and alloy production residues.
The NETL CMM Program is focuses on the following goals:
- Validate the technical and economic feasibility of domestic small pilot-scale (or larger) facilities to produce high-purity CMM from carbon ore and coal-based resources.
- Produce 1–3 tonnes/day of high-purity mixed rare earth oxides/salts in domestic demonstration-scale facilities and refine to metals or alternative user-specified products as required for use in the CMM supply chain using coal-based and alternative resources as feedstock materials.
- Perform regional assessments, covering the entire United States, of CMM and novel high-value, nonfuel, carbon-based products from secondary and unconventional resources including an estimate of potential U.S. production of CMM.
As a fully integrated research, development and demonstration (RD&D) program, DOE-NETL’s efforts uniquely span basic and applied science and technology development (e.g., technology readiness level [TRL] 1-3), through engineering design, construction, and operation of bench- and small pilot-scale separation facilities (TRL 3-5), to development of process designs and operation of large pilot-scale CMM recovery facilities (TRL 6-8).
The CMM Program applies its research and development efforts primarily to the three key technology areas described below.
Resource Characterization and Technology Development
A major objective of the CMM Program is resource characterization, from the fundamental molecular level to the resource deposit scale. Research efforts focus on unconventional and secondary feedstocks, such as coal and coal refuse, coal fly ash, acid mine drainage, mine waste, oil- and gas-produced waters, and brines extracted as part of carbon sequestration efforts. These feedstocks are known to contain elevated concentrations of CMM, potentially in economic quantities; however, their occurrence and distribution are not well constrained. A key aspect of this work is the Carbon Ore, Rare Earth and Critical Minerals (CORE-CM) Initiative, which funds coalition teams focused on addressing the upstream and midstream CMM supply chain and downstream manufacturing of high-value, nonfuel, carbon-based products. The initiative is designed as a multiyear effort to accelerate development of U.S. CMM supply chains while contributing to regional economic growth and job creation.
Critical Mineral Processing
NETL’s focus on CMM processing includes developing novel materials and processes to concentrate CMM streams from dilute sources, such as oil and gas produced waters, acid mine drainage (AMD) and mineral processing streams. Processing technologies include conventional and advanced extraction, separation, refining and purification process RD&D. The portfolio also focuses effort on the development of processing methods that reduce the amount of water or chemicals required for processing and science that targets overall environmental performance of CMM operations.
Advanced Critical Material Recovery Technology
This technology area focuses on RD&D to develop technologies that support innovation needs for responsible and transformational mining of critical minerals in the U.S. The major goal of this technology area is to reduce the mining footprint by eliminating large open-pit mining and extensive networks of underground tunnels. Major objectives include substantially reducing land, water and air impacts currently associated with conventional mining practices. Key RD&D areas of interest include advanced drilling technologies, deployment of novel geophysical tools, autonomous subsurface operations, in-situ mining and processing, mine waste and tailing management, and mineral traceability.
News: NETL Edge Highlights NETL Progress on Creating Robust Domestic Supplies of Critical Minerals Required for the Future of Energy
Learn how NETL is assessing the economic viability of recovering rare earth elements (REE) from unconventional feedstocks like coal and coal waste; discovering platinum group minerals from ultramafic rocks; using the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to start up the first wave of production facilities for critical minerals; and much more!
News: NETL Advances Revolutionary Technologies to Extract Rare Earth Elements and Critical Minerals from North Dakota Lignite
Learn how NETL is assessing the economic viability of recovering rare earth elements (REE) from unconventional feedstocks like coal and coal waste; discovering platinum group minerals from ultramafic rocks; using the Infrastructure, Investment, and Jobs Act to start up the first wave of production facilities for critical minerals; and much more!
Funding Opportunity Announcement: Administration Announces $30 Million to Increase Domestic Supply of Critical Minerals
The U.S. Department of Energy announced up to $30 million to help lower the costs of the onshore production of rare earths and other critical minerals and materials from domestic coal-based resources.
