Let's Bring Rare Earth Production Home
The U.S. relies on other countries for the rare earth elements (REEs) found in our phones, cars, wind turbines, weapons systems, and much more. WVU is paving the way to change that, particularly when it comes to heavy rare earths. They are the most critical for high-end, advanced commercial and defense technologies.
From Wastes to Resources:
WVU Advances Rare Earth Recovery in More Places Than One
WVU is a leader in identifying rare earth element feedstocks. For a decade, we’ve cut our teeth extracting REEs from coal-based AMD. Our AMDREE™ (acid mine drainage rare earth elements) research has not only proven we can extract these critical materials domestically, but that doing so can also help clean up the environment. Now, we’ve proven that same technology extends to hard-rock mining.
What’s Next?
This exciting breakthrough shows we can evolve beyond Coal AMD. Now, we are taking that technology a step further to extract critical minerals in more feedstocks. Our research is looking into REE extraction of hard rock, red mud, mine tailings, industrial and electronic waste, and other unconventional raw materials.
WVU is shaping the future of a more diversified and resilient approach to rare earth and critical mineral recovery.
REE Recovery Across Every Feedstock
Coal and Hard-Rock Acid Mine Drainage
Naturally occurring outflow of water when metal-laden water from coal or hard-rock mines are exposed to air and water.
Electronic Waste
Discarded high-tech devices, magnets, hard drives, electronic vehicle motors and more.
Red Mud
A toxic industrial waste produced during alumina production.
Mine Tailings
Finely ground rock, processed water and trace chemical additives leftover from mining.
Nation’s First Full-Scale AMDREE™ Processing Facility
West Virginia Is Home to the Nation’s First integrated Pilot-Scale AMDREE™ Processing Facility
A Few Stats Worth Knowing
2016 WVU researchers were one of the first to discover rare earth elements in acid mine drainage
#1 West Virginia hosts the nation's first integrated AMD-to-rare-earth processing facility
8 active REE patents (4 U.S. and 4 foreign)
27 pending patents for REE and critical mineral recovery from secondary feedstocks
3:1 We tackle the 3 problems of foreign dependency, legacy pollution, and critical materials scarcity with 1 integrated process
Profile
Minds at the Forefront of REE Innovation
Lian-Shin (Lance) Lin
Director of WVU Rare Earth Elements Initiative
See More
Making History. Making Headlines.
Next Steps: Commercialize and Scale
Our technology is ready to move beyond A34 and into the market.
In the News
From wastes to resources: WVU expands rare earth research to help strengthen America’s domestic critical minerals supply
WVUToday
How West Virginia Is Pulling Pollution, and Rare Earths, Out of Its Streams
The New York Times Story