[News] U.S. Could Break China’s Grip on Critical Minerals through Mine Waste Recovery, Study Says

According to Financial Times, researchers at the Colorado School of Mines said the U.S. could significantly reduce its dependence on China for many vital minerals by recovering byproducts from existing domestic metal mining operations rather than letting them go unused. Their findings were published a couple of days ago in Science, the report adds.

As the report notes, their research indicates that recovering metals produced as byproducts at active mines, together with current output, could be enough to meet U.S. manufacturing demand for copper, iron, molybdenum, silver, nickel, zinc, and rare earths.

However, the report also highlights that putting these waste products to better use may be challenging, as much more research, development, and policy support will be required to make it economically viable.

As cited in the report, their research shows that for 15 elements — including rare earths, gallium, and germanium — recovering less than 1 percent of the byproducts from U.S. mines could eliminate the need for imports. For another 11 elements, such as lithium, a key battery metal, recovery rates of 1 to 10 percent would be needed to replace imports, according to the research.

In line with this push to reduce reliance on China for rare earths, the U.S. has been stepping up investment to strengthen its domestic supply. In July, the Department of Defense reached an agreement with MP Materials that will make it the company’s largest shareholder, according to Reuters. Washington has also introduced a higher pricing system to encourage domestic investment.

Industry players are also taking action. Reuters reports that Apple has signed a USD 500 million deal with MP Materials for rare earth magnets, while The Economist notes that about 22 new mining projects are expected to become operational by 2030.

Read more

• [News] U.S. Backs MP Materials With Price Guarantees to Curb China’s Rare Earth Grip; Apple Locks In Supply
• [News] China’s Rare Earth Gamble: Why Export Controls Might Ultimately Lose its Edge

(Photo credit: Grinm Advanced Materials)