MORGANTOWN - The Water Research Institute at West Virginia University has been awarded $5 million by the U.S Department of Energy to conduct phase three of their groundbreaking Rare Earth Recovery Project.
Rare Earth Elements are used in many products including computers and cell phones.
In 2018, a pilot plant was opened on WVU's campus through a collaboration between the National Technology Energy Laboratory, WVU, and Rockwell Automation to test the feasibility of technology to commercialize extracting rare earth elements from acid mine drainage.
The project has been so successful in identifying an economically attractive source of rare earth elements from acid mine drainage that phase three has been funded by the U.S Department of Energy in a project worth more than $5 million.
"From your cell phone to weapons systems, rare earth elements are increasingly important in manufacturing. Currently, China controls the vast majority of the rare earth element supply, which puts the United States at risk," said Rep. David B. McKinley. "WVU's work to develop a domestic source is critical and this funding will go a long way in helping them continue their research. The research being done by WVU will help to build an American supply chain and ensure that we are not dependent on other nations for our supply."
Rare earth elements are critical in today's world. These elements are used in electronics such as smartphones, magnets, computers, televisions, and most notably in national defense technology. Rare earth elements are hard to extract, and economically attractive concentrations are rare. As such, the U.S. currently imports nearly all its rare earth elements from China.