Project Selections for FOA 2619: BIL - Advanced Processing of Rare Earth Elements and Critical Minerals for Industrial and Manufacturing Applications (Round 2)

TOPIC AREA 1 — Advanced Process Development for Production of Rare Earth Metals and Co-Production of Critical Minerals and Materials from Coal-Based Resources

Molecular Design of Microemulsion Extraction System to Improve the Production of Rare Earth Metals and Co-Production of Critical Minerals and Materials from Coal-Based Resources –California Institute of Technology (Pasadena, California) plans to integrate both traditional and innovative rare earth separation methods (conventional liquid‐to‐liquid extraction and advanced microemulsion liquid‐to‐liquid extraction) to obtain individual rare earth elements in a highly pure form while simultaneously generating critical minerals and materials. The project also plans to harness low-temperature plasma technology for producing rare earth metals. This approach potentially provides improved selectivity, augmented energy efficiency, and enhanced control over the reduction reactions.

DOE Funding: $ 4,890,160
Non-DOE Funding: $ 1,293,287
Total Value: $ 6,183,447
 

Advanced Processing for Critical Materials Extraction, Recovery, Separation, and Purification – University of Utah (Salt Lake City, Utah) plans to produce individually separated high-purity rare earth oxides, rare earth salts, rare earth metals, and critical minerals and materials from abundant, low-grade coal by-products using innovative mineral and chemical separation technologies at 20% less cost than conventional methods. The project will include evaluating technologies for physical upgrading of sample feedstock materials; extracting rare earth elements and critical minerals and materials using environmentally friendly methods; separating rare earth elements and critical minerals and materials into individual high-purity rare earth salts, oxides, and critical minerals and materials products; producing high-purity rare earth metals and critical minerals and materials using innovative reduction technologies; and evaluating the overall integrated process for energy and mass balances with a related technoeconomic analysis.

DOE Funding: $ 4,999,999
Non-DOE Funding: $ 1,250,000
Total Value: $ 6,249,999