DOE’s Critical Materials Innovation Hub Awards $10 Million for Early-Stage Research and Development

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation today awarded $10 million to seven projects that will accelerate the early-stage technology research and development necessary to more efficiently recover and refine critical materials required for energy technologies. Led by the Critical Materials Innovation Hub (CMI Hub), the projects will focus on rare earth elements, gallium, copper, and other critical materials.

“These seven projects will leverage the Critical Materials Innovation Hub’s strong foundation of expertise to address key technical challenges involving heavy rare earth elements, gallium, copper, and other critical materials,” said Assistant Secretary of Energy Audrey Robertson. “This work will unlock new production methods that strengthen domestic supply chains and ensure American manufacturers have access to the materials they need to compete and lead.”

The selectees include projects from the following organizations:

• Case Western Reserve University: Process intensification enabled by chloride-based molten salt electrolysis for highly efficient heavy rare earth metal production
   
• Colorado School of Mines: Improving copper extraction from primary copper sulfides using hydro and bio-hydro metallurgical processes
   
• University of Arizona: A synergistic approach using nanobubbles, surfactants, and reactive oxygen species to enhance copper sulfide leaching
   
• FAST Metals: Creating new domestic sources of critical minerals: Gallium and rare earth mixed oxides from industrial byproduct residue streams
   
• Indium Corporation: Improved ion-exchange resin for gallium extraction from bauxite-alumina processing
   
• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign: Development of redox-adsorbents for the selective electrochemical recovery of gallium from mining byproducts and end-of-life waste
   
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory: Transforming selective separation and recovery of gallium from zinc refinery residues using solid-phase extraction

Founded in 2013 and led by Ames Laboratory, the CMI Hub, formerly the Critical Materials Institute, is a DOE Energy Innovation Hub focused on reducing or eliminating America’s reliance on critical materials that are subject to supply disruptions and price fluctuations.

Selection for award negotiations is not a commitment by DOE/CMI Hub to issue an award or provide funding. Before funding is issued, DOE/CMI Hub and the applicant will undergo a negotiation process, and DOE/CMI Hub may cancel negotiations and rescind the selection for any reason during that time. DOE/CMI Hub award amounts are subject to change pending negotiations.

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