April 19, 2018 - Due to the integral part they play in many modern technologies from batteries and lens to televisions and computers, rare earth elements are much sought after as a commodity. Now, a team of researchers from West Virginia University (WVU) and the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) are working on a project aimed at extracting rare earth elements from the acid mine drainage found at various coal mines in the United States.

If the project proves to be a success, WVU will have developed a new, domestic source of rare earth elements that can be easily extracted, operate on already permitted sites and produce negligible, new waste materials. In fact, it has been mooted that the process may become a way for land owners to generate income from formerly mined properties.

Scientists have discovered that minerals such as candium, yttrium and neodymium become soluble in acidic environments, which means that they can concentrate near mine sites. Having discovered this, the scientists have developed a potential feedstock which would enable them to recover rare earth elements.

As well as being a new and less expensive method of recovering the 17 rare earth elements, the project will also bolster domestic supply. Currently, the US imports nearly all of its rare earth needs from China.

“Mine drainage from abandoned mines is the biggest industrial pollution source in Appalachian streams,” said Dr. Paul Ziemkiewicz, director of West Virginia Water Research Institute and principal investigator on the project.

“When NETL announced its interest in rare earth recovery it became clear that the mine drainage could be an attractive feedstock for rare earth production. Our research has since focused on finding ways to capture this rare earth resource while incentivising mine drainage treatment. This project will be a perfect fir to WVU’s mission to create economic opportunity for West Virginians.” 

Acid mine drainage sludge cells at a mine in Upshur County, West Virgina.

Image by WVU Today

Ziemkiewicz, along with co-investigators Dr. Xingbo Liu, professor of mechanical engineering from the Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources at WVU and Dr. Aaron Noble, associate professor at Virginia Tech’s Department of Mining and Minerals Engineering will install a small-scale, continuous extraction facility on the WVU campus.

“The economics of recovering rare earth elements from coal mine drainage appear favourable, and this project will give us the opportunity to develop and optimise the critical separation technologies that will enable commercial-scale production,” said Noble.

The research team will partner with Rockwell Automation to adapt their sensor and control technology and facilitate market readiness. A global supplier of controls, the company will ensure the success of the project by providing solutions and support services to manage the complex components that will comprise the rare earth extraction process. 

CoalZoom.com - Your Foremost Source for Coal News