The latest research from the University of Texas, Austin, shows that coal ash from many regions across the US contains large amounts of rare earth elements, opening up opportunities to reduce dependence on imports. This study marks an important step forward in turning "waste into gold" and exploiting minerals from the landfills themselves.
SciTechDaily said that research shows that coal ash accumulated over decades in the US can contain up to 11 million tons of rare earth elements, nearly 8 times more than the country's total current reserves. The potential exploitation value is estimated at 8.4 billion USD, opening a new direction in on-site mineral exploitation.
"This is a clear demonstration of the principle of turning waste into a treasure trove," Bridget scan, a research co-author from the University of Texas, emphasized.
Rare earth includes 17 important elements in modern technology industries, from the production of batteries, energy batteries, to magnetes in electric motors. Currently, the US depends on imports of rare earth elements, of which 75% are from China, causing risks to supply chains and economic independence.
Each area has different levels of rare earth elements. For example, coal ash from the Appalachian Basin coal tank contains an average of 431 mg/kg of rare earth elements, but only 30% of them can be extracted. Meanwhile, coal ash from Powder River Basin has an average content of less, but the extraction rate is up to 70%.
Although the extraction is still in the testing phase, many pilot projects are underway, such as the project of the National Energy laboratory ( 0.NL) exploiting rare earth elements from the Powder River Basin coal ash.
Chris Young, Chief Strategist at Element USA, stressed that exploiting rare earth elements from coal ash is reasonable and clear, but the main challenge is turning that idea into economic efficiency.
With Element USA moving the laboratory and pilot equipment to Austin, the partnership with the University of Texas promises to promote research and training of future extract mineral experts.
