CSSM Director, Eric Schelter, was interviewed and quoted for an article in Grist, describing opportunities for extracting rare earth metals from coal burning waste. The article “The plan to turn coal country into a rare earth powerhouse,” by Maddie Stone, highlights new opportunities to extract important rare earth metals from coal ash, a waste product left behind after coal is burned for energy.
In response to the question of mining ores versus extracting rare earth metals from waste products, Schelter was quoted saying, “Frankly, there are relatively similar problems. If you make a real breakthrough in the concentration of rare earths away from coal and coal byproducts, you could use that in technology as well.”
Read the full article here.
