Manufacturing Efficiency

Travertine will develop an innovative process that combines strong acid-enhanced weathering and critical metal concentration and recovery in ultramafic mine tailings with an electrolytic process for sulfuric acid recycling and base production. The process will maximize the release of carbon dioxide (CO2) reactive minerals and residual critical elements from mine tailings, while minimizing waste. Carbon dioxide will be captured from air and permanently sequestered as inert carbonate minerals. Leached critical elements will be recovered as oxides.

Boeing Research & Technology aims to develop a comprehensive solution for ultra-high performance turbine blades and other extreme environment aerospace applications. The team will develop a series of novel refractory complex concentrated alloys (RCCA) and their processing parameters for both laser beam powder-bed-fusion/powder-feed-deposition additive manufacturing and advanced powder metallurgy manufacturing, as well as intermediate layer materials optimized for coating solutions.

Phoenix Tailings’ CO2 GONE process uses and recycles CO2 to extract energy-relevant minerals, primarily nickel (Ni) and magnesium (Mg), from iron- and aluminum-rich ore through carbonation with CO2. Using CO2 with high pressures, temperatures, and mixing breaks down the rock structure and enables greater extraction of energy-relevant elements like Ni and Mg, which are then converted to metal carbonates (NiCO3, MgCO3).

The University of Kentucky’s proposed technology will use CO₂ emitted at or near operating mines and processing operations to reduce the energy consumed during grinding by more than 50% while improving the recovery of critical energy relevant minerals by 20% or greater. In this approach, CO2 will be mixed with ore containing the valuable minerals, especially copper (Cu) and rare earth elements, to improve grinding and separation efficiency. Biological fixation of CO2 will also be studied and employed in producing acid to recover Cu from low grade feedstocks.

The University of Texas at Arlington will develop two technologies to produce lithium (Li) and nickel (Ni) from CO2-reactive minerals and rocks that contain calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg), while sequestering CO2 in the form of carbonate solids (calcium carbonate, or CaCO3; magnesium carbonate, or MgCO3; and variants thereof). The technologies, acoustic stimulation and electrolytic proton production, use electricity to liberate valuable metal ions from the surrounding mineral matrix at sub-boiling temperatures (~20-80°C).

The University of Texas, Austin, will conduct an in-situ injection of CO2 dissolved in water to (1) permanently sequester CO2 via carbon-negative reactions (carbon mineralization), (2) chemically fracture the rock via reaction-driven cracking before mining to reduce extraction and comminution energy by at least 50%, (3) replace the CO2-reactive rock waste with carbonate to reduce energy needed for separation, improve concentrate grade, and increase ore recovery, and (4) expand the lifespan of the mine as a CO2 sink once the ore is exhausted.

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) will develop an innovative carbon mineralization/metal extraction technology (CMME) that enables the recovery of energy-relevant elements during direct and indirect carbon mineralization processes. Virginia Tech will introduce an organic phase during the direct carbon mineralization process and in the mineral dissolution step of indirect carbon mineralization process.

Idaho National Laboratory (INL) will develop a novel mineral extraction technology to transform CO2-reactive, impermeable, low-grade ores for in-situ mining, recovery of energy-relevant minerals, and CO2 storage. Once the technology achieves maturity, it could potentially replace costly, energy-intensive, high-carbon footprint underground/open-pit mining.

Michigan Technological University (MTU) will achieve a decrease of 10 wt% CO2 equivalent per tonne of ore processed compared with current methods for primary nickel extraction by a) storing CO2 in CO2-reactive minerals and b) recovering an additional 80% of energy-relevant minerals from nickel-bearing minerals in mine tailings. MTU will achieve these two major goals by developing accelerated carbon mineralization and carbon negative metal extraction technologies.

Missouri University of Science and Technology aims to establish a novel pathway to extract energy-relevant minerals, such as nickel and cobalt, from CO2-reactive and low-grade silicate feedstock (e.g., lean ore, mine waste, and geologic formations) via a novel pretreatment using a CO2- or biomass-derived organic acid that can dissolve silicates efficiently and liberate metals. The progressive dissolution will be followed by the precipitation of oxalate products, turning the bulky silicate rocks into micron-sized crystal particles and amorphous silica.