A recently released report, entitled A Federal Strategy to Ensure Secure and Reliable Supplies of Critical Minerals, by the Department of Commerce, is calling for an increase in R&D activities around the minerals deemed as critical by the Department of the Interior.
Dependence on imports has been a growing trend since the 1970s and subjects the nation to risky and unreliable supply chains for crucial material needs. Amidst an all-time reliance high and exponentially growing resource demand, the US issued Executive Order 13817 on December 20, 2017.
The resulting report outlines the nation’s plan to ensure secure, reliable resource supply of these vital materials. Not surprisingly, the report identifies a need for increased R&D activities as a key aspect in the effort to reduce dependence on imports.
The Critical Minerals
According to Executive Order 13817:
A “critical mineral” is a mineral identified by the Secretary of the Interior pursuant to subsection (b) of this section to be (i) a non-fuel mineral or mineral material essential to the economic and national security of the United States, (ii) the supply chain of which is vulnerable to disruption, and (iii) that serves an essential function in the manufacturing of a product, the absence of which would have significant consequences for our economy or our national security.
The report covers the 35 minerals, listed below, considered by the Department of the Interior as critical. These minerals represent the growing role of materials in our rapidly advancing society and can be found in nearly everything around us.
- Aluminum (bauxite)
- Antimony
- Arsenic
- Barite
- Beryllium
- Bismuth
- Cesium
- Chromium
- cobalt
- Fluorspar
- Gallium
- Germanium
- Graphite (natural)
- Hafnium
- Helium
- Indium
- Lithium
- Magnesium
- Manganese
- Niobium
- Platinum group metals
- Potash
- Rare earth elements group
- Rhenium
- Rubidium
- Scandium
- Strontium
- Tantalum
- Tellurium
- Tin
- Titanium
- Tungsten
- Uranium
- Vanadium
- Zirconium
According to the the report, of these 35 minerals, the United States is considered import reliant (at least 50 percent of annual consumption) on 31, and 100 percent reliant on imports for 14 of them.
The Role of R&D in Critical Mineral Supply
Advance Transformational Research, Development, and Deployment Across Critical Mineral Supply Chains, is the first Call to Action of the report, and focuses on using research and development to diversify and strengthen the country’s critical minerals supply chain.
While the report recognizes that the past decade has seen increased investment toward scientific and technological advancements around critical minerals, it lays out three essential areas in which additional R&D is needed to reduce dependence on critical mineral imports:
- Diversifying sources
- Improving processing & recycling techniques
- Exploring potential alternative materials
R&D in each category would make the country less vulnerable to disruptions in supply, foster a thriving and more resilient economy, and bolster national security.
Diversifying Sources
Mineral extraction efforts have historically centered around conventional mining techniques, where the target mineral is extracted from ore. While this will remain an important part of the mining industry, the US must invest in extraction from less conventional sources in order to increase available domestic supplies.
In particular, research and development in this category would explore mineral extraction from sources such as tailings, process byproducts, and even sea water. It would also explore the potential for recycling underutilized secondary resources. A timely example of this is the recycling of spent lithium-ion batteries – an endeavor that has been the focus of many process development projects in the FEECO Innovation Center as of late.
Improving Processing and Recycling Techniques
In addition to developing new technologies, research and development must also focus on improving existing technologies, promoting maximum recovery and reuse of materials during initial processing and production, through to end-of-life products.
According to the report, “While some reuse and recycling of products containing critical minerals is occurring, minerals embedded in existing products or waste streams represent a largely untapped reservoir of potential supply due to the complexity of extracting critical minerals from an end-of-life product. Accordingly, additional research could allow industry to make full use of these resources.”
The report also notes the importance of technological improvements that will allow for reductions in use of critical minerals.
Developing Alternatives for Critical Minerals
Lastly, research and development should explore the use of more feasible alternative materials in place of critical minerals in order to reduce their exclusive demand and lower supply disruption risks.
Material Test Work
As the report shows, research and development around new processes for mineral processing and recovery will play an essential role in the effort to ensure secure and reliable supplies of critical minerals.
The FEECO Innovation Center, a unique facility offering comprehensive capabilities in mineral processing development initiatives, has been and continues to be an important resource in maximizing available mineral resources (both critical and non-critical) through improved processing techniques. Capabilities include:
Mineral agglomeration testing
Mineral drying testing
High-temperature mineral thermal treatment testing
A variety of batch- and pilot-scale equipment, including a variety of rotary kilns, is available to address process development at every stage.
The Innovation Center has already helped hundreds of companies, including the mining industry’s largest players, in mineral and metal recovery efforts, beneficial reuse applications, and process optimization initiatives.
Data gathered during testing in the Innovation Center is then used to scale up the process and engineer the custom production equipment needed.
Beyond R&D
R&D is just one aspect of the DOC’s outlined strategy to reduce dependence on critical mineral imports. Also included are recommendations for:
- Strengthening America’s Critical Mineral Supply Chains and Defense Industrial Base
- Enhancing International Trade and Cooperation Related to Critical Minerals
- Improving Understanding of Domestic Critical Mineral Resources
- Improving Access to Domestic Critical Mineral Resources on Federal Lands and Reducing Federal Permitting Timeframes
- Growing the American Critical Minerals Workforce
Conclusion
The Department of Commerce’s report, A Federal Strategy to Ensure Secure and Reliable Supplies of Critical Minerals, is an integral step in reducing the risks associated with import reliance of critical minerals. In particular, an increase in R&D is needed to improve existing technologies, extract critical minerals from unconventional sources, and explore alternative materials.
FEECO is proud to support the US mining industry and the advanced technologies that improve sustainable resource utilization. Our material testing facility, The Innovation Center, continues to be an asset for companies looking to develop new or enhanced production and recovery techniques for critical and non-critical minerals. For more information on how the Innovation Center can assist your mineral processing efforts, contact us today!
SOURCES
The full DOC report is available here:
https://www.commerce.gov/news/reports/2019/06/federal-strategy-ensure-secure-and-reliable-supplies-critical-minerals