{"id":5356,"date":"2023-12-15T12:47:47","date_gmt":"2023-12-15T18:47:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/cem\/?p=5356"},"modified":"2023-12-15T12:48:51","modified_gmt":"2023-12-15T18:48:51","slug":"und-researchers-hit-milestone-in-rare-earth-minerals-production","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/cem\/2023\/12\/und-researchers-hit-milestone-in-rare-earth-minerals-production\/","title":{"rendered":"UND researchers hit milestone in rare-earth minerals production"},"content":{"rendered":"

Focus on extraction in North Dakota moves from conceptual to commercial<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"
Dan Laudal, left, research professor with UND\u2019s College of Engineering & Mines Research Institute<\/span> and Nolan Theaker, senior research manager with the Institute, are working on game-changing research on rare earth elements that could transform a portion of the state\u2019s economy. Photo by Adam Kurtz\/UND Today<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Efforts by UND researchers to transform the state into a hub to produce rare earth elements (REEs) and critical minerals (CMs) continue to move forward, and the pilot production facility, located off Mill Road in Grand Forks, has begun to produce concentrated mixtures of the compounds.<\/p>\n

This most recent development comes on the heels of a high-level visit of federal energy leaders. The delegation came to North Dakota in mid-October to tour the facility and a lignite coal mine near Underwood, N.D. The visitors included members of the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) and leaders from the U.S. Department of Energy\u2019s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM), Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains and Office of International Affairs.<\/p>\n

The visit was significant because it allowed the federal decision makers to get a first-hand look at UND\u2019s pilot extraction facility, said Nolan Theaker,<\/a> <\/strong>senior research manager with the Research Institute at the UND College of Engineering & Mines<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThis event was the highest number and highest rank of DOE representatives to date who have visited campus for this project, and they represent some of the key decision makers at DOE for making a commercial project a reality,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Moreover, Theaker said, the visit focused on the practical future of extracting REEs in the state, rather than the theoretical.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis visit wasn\u2019t purely about technology discovery anymore. Instead, it was about how this process could be built as a commercial effort.\u201d<\/p>\n

The visit by federal leaders came roughly six months after UND was awarded an $8 million DOE grant to explore the possibilities of REE production in North Dakota.<\/a><\/strong> The grant is part of a federal effort to produce those elements inside the United States, as most of the elements currently are produced in China. This puts the nation\u2019s supply at risk should China curtail exports of the elements.<\/p>\n

Critical minerals are used in a wide variety of electrical products, including smartphones and electric vehicles, as well as industrial magnets. Notably, they\u2019re also a crucial part of the nation\u2019s national defense supply chain.<\/p>\n

The DOE grant is helping UND researchers explore the viability of producing REEs from North Dakota lignite coal, and is Phase 1 of a two-phase federal program to build an REE extraction facility somewhere in the United States. Moving to Phase 2 means unlocking an additional $134 million in DOE funding to build the facility.<\/p>\n

UND and North Dakota are in competition with West Virginia University and West Virginia to be the host site of the facility.<\/p>\n

Now, UND\u2019s pilot extraction facility is producing concentrated batches of REEs. According to Nicholas Dyrstad-Cincotta, research operations manager with the Research Institute at the UND College of Engineering & Mines, researchers have produced nearly 10 pounds of concentrated REEs, which he called a \u201cmajor milestone\u2019 at the pilot level.<\/p>\n

Testing is now underway on that concentrate, and Dyrstad-Cincotta said researchers are preparing to produce a second batch.<\/p>\n

Dyrstad-Cincotta said the challenge of building a pilot extraction facility was daunting when it was first proposed, but he has not encountered a problem he and his team could not solve.<\/p>\n

\u201cGetting this pilot plant operational is a monumental achievement for our department and the College of Engineering and Mines,\u201d he said. \u201cTwo years ago, this pilot plant only existed on paper. Today, we have a functional pilot scale engineering research facility that the College can study and use as leverage for future projects for years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

Actually producing REEs and the October visit by federal energy leaders represent a significant step forward for REE production in North Dakota. Dan Laudal,<\/a><\/strong> executive director and research professor with the College of Engineering & Mines, previously told UND Today that securing the funding to build a commercial extraction facility in the state could bring a completely new set of industries to North Dakota and transform part of the state\u2019s mining economy while creating new jobs.<\/p>\n

Theaker said he was grateful to showcase UND\u2019s REE production efforts to the NETL, Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, and other DOE visitors in October. That visit was also joined by Mike Holmes from the North Dakota Industrial Commission\u2019s Lignite Research Program.<\/p>\n

Theaker said the energy leaders were impressed by the commitment and dedication to this project by UND and commercial partners, state agencies and the Legislature.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d just like to thank everyone in this great state that continues to push to make this project a reality,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Like Laudal, Theaker stressed the economic benefits of producing REEs in North Dakota, which would then extend to the rest of the nation.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur message is not one of exploiting a resource for one specific benefit or company, but to develop a new mineral processing and materials industry in the state,\u201d he said. \u201cThis first plant could produce products that could be sold to over 40 different companies and industries throughout their supply chain, and the possibilities are likely to continue to grow.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s note: <\/strong>In April, UND Today talked Laudal and Theaker and produced a Q&A that expands on the significance of producing REEs in North Dakota. That article can be found on the UND Today website.<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

In addition, an account of the visit by NETL and DOE leaders can be found on the NETL website,<\/a><\/strong> and a recent MPR News article<\/a> <\/strong>offer additional insights. \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Written by Adam Kurtz<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0 \/\/\u00a0 UND Today<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Efforts by UND researchers to transform the state into a hub to produce rare earth elements (REEs) and critical minerals (CMs) continue to move forward, and the pilot production facility, located off Mill Road in Grand Forks, has begun to produce concentrated mixtures of the compounds.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":79,"featured_media":5357,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[893],"tags":[912],"class_list":["post-5356","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-research"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nUND researchers hit milestone in rare-earth minerals production - College of Engineering & Mines<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Focus on extraction of Rare Earth Elements in North Dakota moves from conceptual to commercial.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/cem\/2023\/12\/und-researchers-hit-milestone-in-rare-earth-minerals-production\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"UND researchers hit milestone in rare-earth minerals production - 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