| Project Detail |
The U.S. mining industry faces the rapid depletion of high-profit deposits, increased mining and processing costs, and expensive management and accumulation of tailings. These factors result in a reduced return on investment from conventional mining methods. The current global conventional mineral supply also cannot support the U.S. transition to 100% renewable energy. The lack of energy-relevant minerals poses a significant supply chain risk, especially with regard to batteries, renewable generation, and transmission. The U.S. may look toward unconventional minerals (i.e., CO2-reactive minerals) and carbon-negative mining methods to meet the demand.
Project Innovation + Advantages:
Johns Hopkins University (JHU) will develop sustainable mining of critical elements from gangue minerals. The concept is based on the electrosynthesis of hydrochloric acid or HCl and base (sodium hydroxide or NaOH) via salt splitting and using renewable electricity as the power source. JHU will use the produced HCl to leach targeted metals from low-grade minerals and NaOH to react with CO2 and generate sodium carbonate (Na2CO3). Recombining the metal chlorides with Na2CO3 will allow for subsequential precipitation of manganese, cobalt, nickel, or copper carbonates and magnesium or iron carbonates, with the former becoming economic ores that can be supplied to refineries and the latter being remineralized for carbon sequestration. The technology will enable the use of unconventional mineral sources for mining of energy-relevant critical metals. It will also avoid high-temperature thermochemical processing, minimize the discharge of hazardous chemical wastes, and substantially reduce the carbon emission of mining industries.
Potential Impact:
The MINER program aims to use the reactive potential of CO2-reactive ore materials to decrease mineral processing energy and increase the yield of energy-relevant minerals via novel negative emission technologies. |
