The US Department of Energy recently announced $45.7 million in funding to support domestic critical minerals processing and recycling technologies. This funding spans the technology readiness level spectrum, pushing innovative concepts from fundamental bench-scale chemistry to automated pilot-scale operations. These research initiatives offer a practical roadmap for future process optimization, safety improvements, and technology transfer.
Upgrading processes with critical mineral technologies
Traditional separation methods, such as solvent extraction, require large volumes of chemical inputs and generate substantial process waste. To address these limitations, researchers are developing alternative technologies for critical minerals that focus on green chemistry and laboratory automation.
For example, researchers at Idaho National Laboratory are developing an electrochemically driven separation process to eliminate chemical consumption in recycling lithium-ion battery leachates. The project aims to mature this process from a basic bench-scale proof of concept to a higher technology readiness level, aiming to reduce the environmental impacts of battery recycling by a minimum of 20 percent. Meanwhile, a team at Argonne National Laboratory is combining anaerobic biotechnology with fungal bioreactors to recover cobalt, lithium, and nickel from recycled battery scrap. This biohydrometallurgical approach targets a 30 percent cost reduction by leveraging biological processes instead of traditional mineral acids.
Scaling from bench to pilot scale
Transitioning a chemical reaction from a benchtop flask to a continuous pilot plant poses significant scaling and automation challenges. Several newly funded projects illustrate how research facilities are successfully navigating this translation phase.
At USA Rare Earth in Oklahoma, researchers are scaling a continuous ion exchange separations process into a pre-commercial pilot plant. The process utilizes established separations science coupled with automated controls to maintain a closed-loop system. Similarly, Big Blue Technologies in Wyoming is scaling a modular magnesium smelting process. Their primary milestone involves demonstrating 2,000 hours of continuous, unmanned, and automated operation of a single two-megawatt smelter, demonstrating how high-temperature metallurgical reactions can be automated at scale.
Further down the scaling pipeline, researchers at the University of North Dakota are validating a low-chemical-extraction method that directly converts mineral-bound ores into refinable, organic-bound forms. If successful, this process will reduce water consumption by more than 70 percent and decrease acid or base usage by 90 to 100 percent compared to traditional chemical leaching protocols.
Preparing lab facilities for automated chemistry workflows
These technical advancements prompt lab managers to evaluate their facilities, floor plans, and workflow designs. Implementing advanced electrochemistry, micro-robotics, and bioleaching demands specialized containment, automated liquid handling, and robust analytical instrumentation.
To prepare for these operational transitions, lab managers must anticipate the infrastructure required to support these sustainable protocols. Transitioning to green chemistry often reduces the storage requirements for specific chemical reagents but increases the demand for real-time monitoring sensors and automated control systems. Additionally, adopting biological pathways—such as using metal-reducing microorganisms to dissolve manganese—requires specialized containment and incubation equipment that may not be available in traditional chemistry laboratories.
By aligning lab operations with these federally funded scaling trends, managers can make informed purchasing decisions, optimize facility safety, and prepare their technical teams for the next generation of industrial chemistry.
This article was created with the assistance of Generative AI and has undergone editorial review before publishing.
