INL, U.S. Critical Materials agree to develop new rare earth processing methods

Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has signed an agreement with Salt Lake City-based U.S. Critical Materials Corp., to engage in a multi-phase collaborative project to develop a process for the extraction of rare earth metals from carbonatite ore. The process will involve a combination of conventional, newly developed (within the past decade) and emerging materials handling and separations processes.

The two companies are particularly focused on developing solutions for dealing with and solving the environmental issues related to mining and processing. The need for developing these solutions has become highly significant to the security of the United States because of the current dependence on Chinese supply and processing of these materials.

Under the agreement, U.S. Critical Materials Corp. and INL will form several integrated industry/lab technical teams. The teams will evaluate state-of-the-art separation technologies. As part of their evaluation, they will commission targeted research, development, demonstration, testing and evaluation of separations technologies useful for achieving economic, environmental and performance efficacy targets.

Cutting-edge technologies developed under the agreement could result in intellectual property that may lead to new patent filings at the conclusion of the eight-month term of the agreement, U.S. Critical Materials Corp. said in a release.

U.S. Critical Materials president and former United States Geological Survey rare earth commodities specialist Jim Hedrick said, “The U.S. has very little commercial rare earths processing. We need to be able to compete with and exceed China’s rare earth processing capabilities. This research agreement, and the tech that will be developed, will help advance U.S. rare earth processing proficiency.”

INL is the nation’s center for nuclear energy research and development and also performs research in the Department of Energy’s strategic goal areas of energy, national security, science and the environment. It is managed by Battelle Energy Alliance for the DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy.

U.S. Critical Materials Corp. is a private rare earths exploration, development and process technology company based in Utah, with holdings in Montana and Idaho. The mineral deposits held by the company in Montana and Idaho are unique due to their high content of rare earths, including at least 13 of the current “critical” minerals listed by the DOE.