Area of Interest 1: Critical Minerals and Materials Supply Chain
1B: Phase II: Pilot-Scale Facility Development and Construction
Continuous Ion Exchange for Domestic Rare Earth Element Separation. USA Rare Earth (Stillwater, Oklahoma) will build, demonstrate, and operate a pilot-scale continuous ion exchange (CIX) rare earth element (REE) production plant in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The objective of this effort is to build USA Rare Earth’s first-of-its-kind bench-scale CIX separations process into a viable pre-commercial unit that demonstrates a superior process to the incumbent solvent extraction technology.
USA Rare Earth’s bench-scale program has demonstrated that REEs can be extracted from domestic resources in a totally closed-loop process. USA Rare Earth’s process uses established CIX separations science, first invented during the Manhattan Project, coupled with innovations developed by other, non-REE industries to create a fully automated, continuously operating process.
USA Rare Earth will establish CIX as the economical, environmentally benign technology platform for the U.S. REE industry. Demonstrating the CIX process positions USA Rare Earth to operate the nation’s first mine-to-magnet supply chain.
DOE Funding: $19.3 million
Non-DOE Funding: $31.2 million
Total Value: $50.5 million
Domestic Primary Production of Magnesium Metal from Common Ore and Scrap Aluminum. Big Blue Technologies (Cheyenne, Wyoming) is scaling a primary magnesium metal production process from pilot to commercial using a modular smelter.
Magnesium metal is a critical material that is essential for the domestic manufacturing of aluminum alloys, light-weight magnesium parts, military incendiaries, and steel, titanium, and chemical production. Using magnesium parts instead of aluminum or steel lightens vehicles, leading to improvements in efficiency and reducing transportation-related emissions.
The modular smelter being scaled through this project takes common dolomite ore and aluminum scrap as feed to produce magnesium metal and a valuable calcium aluminate slag. The project will demonstrate 2,000 hours of continuous unmanned operation of a single 2-MW modular smelter, which could potentially lead to a future plant expansion for commercial production.
DOE Funding: $10 million
Non-DOE Funding: $10 million
Total Value: $20 million
Area of Interest 3: Next Generation Technologies
Bench-scale development of novel, next-generation technologies based on fundamental science discoveries that can be utilized in the production of critical materials.
An Innovative Process for Domestic Graphite Production. Southwest Research Institute (San Antonio, Texas), in collaboration with the University of Texas, San Antonio, will develop a novel plasma reactor system to convert waste or captured carbon dioxide (CO2) into graphite and oxygen gas, with the ultimate objective of developing a sustainable, fully domestic supply of graphite.
This CO2-to-graphite process will accelerate the adoption of carbon capture by providing an alternative carbon dioxide disposal method that does not require CO2 pipeline infrastructure or geography-specific underground storage. The CO2-to-graphite process utilizes modular plasma systems that can be scaled in number and deployed at any CO2 capture site, lowering barriers for technology adoption. Preliminary techno-economic analysis determined this process can generate a positive return on invested capital through the generation of a value-added product (graphite). These benefits lower the financial barriers for adoption of CO2-to-graphite technology and potentially reduce the costs of existing carbon capture technologies.
DOE Funding: $1 million
Non-DOE Funding: 0
Total Value: $1 million
Selective Lithium Extraction from Saline Water by Spatial Crystallization with Water Harvesting. Researchers at Princeton University (Princeton, New Jersey) will further develop an innovative lithium extraction technology based on an advanced physical evaporation and crystallization mechanism that uniquely incorporates water harvesting during operation.
The ultimate goal of this project is to develop a prototype of the novel string crystallization technology that is capable of producing lithium concentrates from a variety of saline water sources. The generated lithium concentrate solution quality will be ready for processing facilities. The process targets to be operated semi-continuously at 200 gallons per day, and system performance will be characterized and optimized using actual saline water sources.
This project will advance science and de-risk the technology to build domestic critical material supply chains by enabling highly efficient, selective, and sustainable domestic lithium supply. Once proved and scaled, this technology could potentially advance U.S. lithium production, boost local economy and job creation, and increase national security and sustainability.
DOE Funding: $1 million
Non-DOE Funding: 0
Total Value: $1 million
Graphite Production from Natural Gas by Pyrolysis and Electrochemical Methods. Researchers at Battelle Memorial Institute (Columbus, Ohio) will conduct basic research in the development of a novel disruptive technology to dissociate small, saturated hydrocarbons found in natural gas (e.g., methane, ethane, and propane) to produce graphite and hydrogen at the laboratory scale.
Graphite, a critical material, is an essential component in the manufacturing of next-generation energy applications and its demand will increase in the coming decades. However, currently, the US has no known natural graphite resources, and state-of-the-art methods for synthetic graphite production are costly and energy intensive. The ultimate goal of this project is to facilitate a cost-effective domestic production method of synthetic graphite.
These experiments will result in proof of concept for methods with operating temperatures around 1,000°C, a significant decrease in temperature and reduction in energy consumption compared to conventional methods. Batelle’s work will result in a technology that supports the domestic production of synthetic graphite from a readily available feedstock, which eliminates the risk of supply chain disruptions.
DOE Funding: $1 million
Non-DOE Funding: 0
Total Value: $1 million
Gas-to-Boule Technology: Lowering the Cost and Environmental Footprint of Solar and Semiconductor-Grade Silicon Boules. National Laboratory of the Rockies (Golden, Colorado), with project partners Michigan State University, Ames National Laboratory, and Hemlock Semiconductor, will lower the cost and energy input of high-purity silicon, a critical material used for photovoltaics and semiconductor devices, by demonstrating a new technology that will allow a higher-purity silicon boule (float-zoned) to be produced at lower cost and lower embodied energy and carbon compared to the Siemens/Czochralski process.
This process converts silicon-containing gases (silane, trichlorosilane) into poly-silicon, which is then float-zone crystallized into single crystal boules using a common heat source. The result is a lower-cost and higher-purity boule that has less embodied energy and carbon compared with incumbent technologies. The goal is to demonstrate a working reactor to de-risk the technology to lower the barrier for adoption into production. This technology will give U.S. manufacturers a competitive edge against foreign-dominated silicon boule production and lower the barrier for entry into the high-purity silicon market.
DOE Funding: $1 million
Non-DOE Funding: 0
Total Value: $1 million
EX-change Electrochemically Driven Nickel-Cobalt Separation. Researchers at Idaho National Laboratory (Idaho Falls, Idaho), with project partner Aqua Metals, aim to eliminate the use of solvent extraction for the processing of lithium-ion battery leachates. They seek to do so by developing a novel electrochemically driven cobalt-nickel separation that does not require chemical consumption, and most importantly can be demonstrated at bench scale, processing real lithium-ion battery leachates and producing separate cobalt and nickel streams. Through this project the proof of concept of a chemical-free (electrochemically-driven) separation will be achieved, and the technology will be maturated from technology readiness level (TRL) 1 to TRL 4, demonstrating that the technology has the potential to reduce the current environmental impact of traditional solvent extraction process by a minimum of 20% with economic feasibility.
DOE Funding: $1 million
Non-DOE Funding: 0
Total Value: $1 million
Next Generation Critical Minerals and Materials Recovery from Recycled Batteries. Researchers at Argonne National Laboratory (Lemont, Illinois), with project partners Texas Tech University and Mycocycle, will develop a next-generation biometallurgy process to facilitate the recovery of critical materials and minerals (CMMs) from black mass. The proposed new CMMs recovery concept has the potential to upend the current CMM-containing waste stream treatment and management paradigm and can be readily integrated into existing practices. A next-generation bioleaching process will be developed based on Argonne’s novel arrested methanogenesis technology. Mycocycle’s patented technology will be used for bioaccumulation of critical materials, thereby concentrating cobalt, lithium, and nickel.
This project aims to successfully develop and scale up the novel integrated biohydrometallurgy process at pilot scale (14 liters) under a continuous operation mode, which achieves >80% key CMMs recovery from recycled batteries at the end of the project. Ultimately, this project’s goal is to achieve a 30% cost reduction in the production of CMMs from domestic waste streams.
DOE Funding: $1 million
Non-DOE Funding: $0.3 million
Total Value: $1.3 million
Fast, Room-Temperature Extraction of Nickel and Cobalt from Ore-Concentrate and Mine Tailings. Researchers at Columbia University (New York, New York) will develop a technological method based on novel chemistry to extract nickel and cobalt from sulfidic ores, providing an alternative to traditional smelters. The purpose of this project is to find a new method to meet the growing demand for critical minerals nickel and cobalt.
This technology uses bromine as an extraction reagent, which can be recycled and regenerated using electrochemical cells akin to those already deployed at equivalent scales for flow batteries. Furthermore, the hydrometallurgical process may be economically attractive even at modest scales, making it viable to produce high-value nickel and cobalt at a mine location, thereby reducing transportation and tailings management costs.
If successful, this hydrometallurgical approach would allow for domestic production of nickel and cobalt, mitigating supply chain bottlenecks and increasing security of American manufacturing supply chains.
DOE Funding: $0.78 million
Non-DOE Funding: 0
Total Value: $0.78 million
Coal-based and Waste Coal-based Electrodes for Direct Lithium Extraction from Domestic Waste Streams.
Researchers at Ohio University (Athens, Ohio), with project partners CONSOL Innovations and Stardust Power, will develop coal-based and waste coal-based lithium-selective electrodes for direct lithium extraction from domestic waste streams like produced water and acid mine drainage with concurrent upgrading to battery-grade lithium products.
This project will pursue two approaches to synthesize the direct lithium extraction electrodes. In one approach, coal and waste coal will be co-foamed with lithium-selective materials to generate highly porous electrodes with the lithium-selective material intimately dispersed throughout. In the other approach, graphitized foamed coal will be infiltrated with a solution of lithium-selective material to create the lithium-selective electrode.
Both approaches will result in highly porous electrodes that will be used in an electrochemical reactor to extract lithium from waste streams. This will result in concentrated lithium chloride streams that are suitable for refining into battery-grade lithium products. This process moves away from traditional lithium extraction processes, like membrane-based or adsorptive extraction, in favor of a potentially electrochemical approach. Extracting lithium from low-grade sources, like produced water, is critical to securing domestic supplies of this critical mineral.
DOE Funding: $1 million
Non-DOE Funding: 0
Total Value: $1 million
Non-Thermal and Low-Chemical Conversion of Mineral-Bound Critical Minerals. Researchers at the University of North Dakota (Grand Forks, North Dakota), with project partner Envergex, LLC, will develop a technology to convert critical mineral ores into a form amenable to conventional refining methods such as solvent extraction or ion exchange. If successful, this technology would replace conventional leaching and solution purification methods, directly converting critical mineral ores from their strong mineral-bound forms into refinable organic-bound forms while drastically reducing the chemical and water usage and waste currently generated through conventional methods of conversion.
The project targets the fundamental validation and applied demonstration of the proposed critical mineral conversion technology. Upon successful completion of the project, this technology will be ready for integrated bench-scale testing. The proposed technology could result in 30%-40% cost reduction, 70%+ reduction in water use, and 90%-100% reduction in acid/base consumption compared to the baseline technology (chemical leaching and solution purification).
DOE Funding: $1 million
Non-DOE Funding: 0
Total Value: $1 million
Synergistic Valorization: Harnessing Organic Wastes to Recover Critical Materials from Coal Wastes. Researchers at Idaho National Laboratory (Idaho Falls, Idaho), with project partners University of Arizona and Ramaco Carbon, LLC, will develop a sustainable pathway to recover rare earth elements (REEs) and graphite precursors from unconventional sources. The primary goal of this project is to demonstrate that economic recovery of REEs from coal waste can be achieved by using microbially upgraded organic acid-based leaching agents derived from complex organic wastes from agriculture or food processing sectors. This project will also demonstrate that, in addition to producing the aqueous lixiviant precursors, hydrothermal treatment of the organic wastes also generates a valuable solid carbonaceous product, biochar, that can support critical mineral and material supply chains.
This project will optimize the hydrothermal treatment process to convert organic materials to biochar and process liquids. Techno-economic analysis and life cycle assessments will support the accomplishment of the objectives and will not only predict economic and environmental impacts for implementation of the technology to valorize coal and biomass wastes.
DOE Funding: $1 million
Non-DOE Funding: 0
Total Value: $1 million
Rare Earth Metallization by Eutectic at Low Temperatures (REMELT). Researchers at Savannah River National Laboratory (Aiken, South Carolina) will develop a next-generation, industrially viable process to convert separated rare earth feedstock into highly pure metallic form. Rare earth oxides and metals are key components of these supply chains, due to their application across the energy, industry, and technology sectors. Yet, converting these oxides into metals remains costly and energy intensive.
This project addresses these issues by utilizing mixtures (eutectics) of molten salts and/or metals that melt at temperatures much lower than their individual constituents, achieving less than 900°C (60% of the original) temperatures. If successful, this project could establish a domestic production of RE feedstock on a commercial scale, mitigating supply chain pressure from international competitors, and ensuring critical mineral security and stability for the U.S. energy economy.
DOE Funding: $1 million
Non-DOE Funding: 0
Total Value: $1 million
Laser-Assisted Separation of Rare Earth Metals. Researchers at Ames National Laboratory (Ames, Iowa) will develop a laser-assisted separation of rare earth metals technology designed for processing end-of-life magnets. Utilizing laser technology creates a less energy-intensive pathway for extracting rare earth metals from end-of-life magnets compared to traditional methods and reduces reliance on foreign sources of critical minerals and materials.
This project will develop a laser processing testbed that integrates a high power and high repetition frequency picosecond pulsed laser to process REE compounds at rate of grams/mins in a controlled environment, utilizing digital twin-based process design to scale up the proposed technology. Successful completion will result in REE reduction and recycling technology with minimum energy requirements and environmental impact.
DOE Funding: $1 million
Non-DOE Funding: $0.5 million
Total Value: $1.5 million
Biological Leaching Process for Producing High-Grade Manganese Dioxide from Low-Grade Sources. Researchers at Michigan Technological University (Houghton, Michigan) will demonstrate a new technology for extraction of manganese from a variety of sources that can be applied on a larger scale in a real environment. Manganese is a critical mineral that is heavily used in battery manufacturing and as an alloying element in almost all steels. However, it has not been mined in the US since the early 1970s, and U.S. industry is 100% reliant on imports.
Previous laboratory work for this project has demonstrated that a community of metal-reducing microorganisms can be used to selectively dissolve manganese from low-grade ores without the use of harsh chemicals or extreme processing conditions. This project will continue to demonstrate the process’s ability to function in the outdoor environment where it will ultimately be applied. This approach provides a more affordable option compared to existing manganese extraction technologies, with minimal environmental impact. Once commercialized, this process will make it possible to recover manganese from the low-grade and small-extent deposits that exist in the US. This will make it possible to satisfy our need for battery-grade manganese from domestic sources.
DOE Funding: $0.7 million
Non-DOE Funding: 0
Total Value: $0.7 million
Innovative and Low-Emission Manufacturing Pathways of Mixed Rare Earth Metals from Idaho Sourced Minerals. Researchers at the University of Idaho (Idaho Falls, Idaho), with project partners Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Strategic Resources Inc., and Idaho Geological Survey, will advance the exploration and extraction of Idaho-sourced rare earth elements (REEs) for potential commercialization of rare earth metals (REMs), using innovative and efficient manufacturing pathways.
This project will pursue two low technology level (TRL) pathways, constructing and advancing REEs extraction pathways. Specifically, this project will (1) construct a next-generation, disruptive REEs extraction pathway (TRL 1) using genetically engineered phytomining, continuous sono-bioleaching, and pseudocapacitive driven REE separation and concentration, and electrolysis; and (2) advance the existing low-emission extraction pathway (TRL 2-3), using microorganisms engineered sono-bioleaching and pseudocapacitive driven REE separation and concentration, and electrolysis. The targeted REEs for mixed REM manufacturing are neodymium, praseodymium, and dysprosium.
DOE Funding: $1 million
Non-DOE Funding: 0
Total Value: $1 million
Micro/Nanorobots Induced Non-stationary Extraction of Lithium (MINE-Li). Researchers at Texas A&M University (College Station, Texas) will develop efficient processes for recovering lithium from seawater using multi-responsive micro/nanorobots. Specifically, micro/nanorobots will be made from Janus core/shell micro/nanoparticles, and will be self-propelled under light, magnet, or the presence of hydrogen peroxide. The self-propelled micro/nanorobots can autonomously swim like fish in the seawater to actively and selectively eat lithium ions, resulting in a groundbreaking concept of lithium recovery.
Harvesting lithium from seawater would provide a stable alternative source to address the growing global demand for lithium, a crucial element in the manufacturing of batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage. Unlike traditional lithium mining, which can be costly and geographically limited, extracting lithium from seawater is a widely accessible method that could serve as an alternative to mining operations. And by eliminating the time-consuming evaporation process of seawater, these micro/nanorobots could significantly boost the efficiency of lithium recovery, improving the active seeking and adsorption of lithium by an estimated >95%.
DOE Funding: $1 million
Non-DOE Funding: $0.3 million
Total Value: $1.3 million
Selective and Continuous Electrochemical Lithium Pump (SCELiP) for Direct Lithium Extraction from Various Brine Sources. Researchers at Vanderbilt University (Nashville, Tennessee), with researchers at the University of California, San Diego, will develop a new process based on the working principle of electro-sorption. Unlike conventional electro-sorption, which is limited by the need to switch solutions or flows between charging and discharge stages, the novel SCELiP platform eliminates the need for solution switch by replacing it with circuit switches.
Researchers will develop SCELiP cell stacks with two different configurations, fabricate lithium-selective electrodes with a novel architecture, and systematically evaluate SCELiP performance under different operating conditions and solution compositions. They will also design and synthesize novel lithium-intercalation materials (as the key component for lithium-selective electrodes) with the aid of computational material discovery.
At the end of the project, researchers aim to demonstrate that SCELiP can outperform state-of-the-art electro-sorption in one or more of the performance metrics such as selectivity, ion flux, energy consumption, and performance stability. If successful, SCELiP has the potential to become a competitive direct lithium extraction technology that is chemical-free, continuous, highly selective, and applicable to various brine sources of lithium.
DOE Funding: $1 million
Non-DOE Funding: 0
Total Value: $1 million
Critical Material Extraction and Concentration from Dilute Waste Waters with Electrospun Nanofibers. Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (Livermore, California), with project partner Morehouse College, will use functional electrospun nanofibers as specific filters for the extraction, concentration, and separation of critical materials and minerals (CMMs) from currently under-utilized, dilute secondary and unconventional domestic waste sources.
This proposed filtration system technology, which does not yet exist commercially, will provide the United States with valuable CMMs while demonstrating the feasibility of using domestic waste from unconventional secondary sources (e.g., mining operations, municipal landfills, and medical or nuclear facilities) as new and economical sources of CMMs on the bench and pilot scale. This technology will be designed for compatibility with multiple waste generation processes, allowing for broad-spectrum use in challenging environments and waste streams with variable CMM profiles.
If successful, this technology will allow for greater and more efficient CMM extraction from underutilized or misused resources that would otherwise be considered waste, increasing CMM life cycles and creating additional sources for domestic CMM extraction, strengthening American critical mineral security.
DOE Funding: $0.9 million
Non-DOE Funding: 0
Total Value: $0.9 million