The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), Pittsburgh, reports that four projects focused on recovering rare earth elements from coal have made significant progress, achieving at least 2% concentration in feedstocks.
The primary goal of these NETL-supported projects is to achieve at least 2% – or 20,000 parts per million (ppm) – REE elemental concentration, which represents a significant enrichment from feedstocks that typically contain REEs at 300 ppm (0.03%). Each of the projects has met or greatly exceeded this goal.
Another project goal is to develop REE recovery processes that are environmentally benign and that will lead to the economic recovery of REEs from coal and coal-based materials for potential future deployment at commercial scale.
The four projects, which are currently being implemented and will complete testing by 2020, have achieved impressive results in laboratory and bench-scale experiments, indicating the highest REE concentration percentage achieved to date from coal and coal by-products, as well as the highest associated percentage of REE recovery.
Physical Sciences Inc. (pilot-scale project) achieved 40% REE concentration at 15% REE recovery using post-combustion fly ash from burning Central Appalachian Basin coal. Physical processing technology will be implemented and tested in Kentucky, with subsequent chemical processing in Pennsylvania.
The University of Kentucky (pilot-scale project) achieved greater than 80% REE concentration at greater than 75% recovery using Central Appalachian Basin and Illinois Basin coal preparation plant refuse. The project team plans to implement and test their technology at multiple field locations in Kentucky.
The University of North Dakota (bench-scale project) achieved 2% REE concentration at 35% REE recovery using North Dakota lignite coal. The University scientists will build and test the technology in their laboratory.
West Virginia University (bench-scale project) achieved 5% REE concentration at greater than 90% REE recovery using acid mine drainage solids from the Northern Appalachian and Central Appalachian Basins. WVU plans to build and test the unit in the WVU laboratory.
These projects have led to patent applications for new REE recovery procedures.
Knowledge gained from these four REE recovery projects benefits additional NETL projects currently underway to design technology for producing salable, individual REE compounds from coal-related materials at a minimum rate of ten pounds per day. The expected purity (concentration) of the REE compounds is a minimum of 90%. Implementation and testing of one or more of these salable REE production projects should be completed by 2020.
https://energy.gov/fe/articles/netl-rare-earth-recovery-projects-meeting-and-exceeding-expectations
