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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 289 records · Page 16
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

The Role of Biofuels and Biomass Feedstocks for Decarbonizing the U.S. Economy by 2050 - (DECARB) Decarbonizing Energy Through Collaborative Analysis of Routes and Benefits

Utilizing biomass resources, such as cellulosic biomass and waste, can greatly contribute to decarbonization efforts in the U.S. economy. The U.S. bioenergy sector includes corn ethanol production, biodiesel, renewable diesel production, and the utilization of biomass wastes for electricity generation being the primary applications. Within the electricity sector, biopower can play a crucial role as a stable low-carbon resource. Enhancing the electricity mix's diversity could enhance grid reliability. If the issues regarding hot gas cleanup can be resolved, flexible biopower resources like biomass gasification facilities could complement the integration of variable renewable energy sources due to their quick ramp-up and ramp-down times. The criticality of bioenergy deployment lies in its ability to decarbonize hard-to-electrify sectors, such as aviation, where alternative decarbonization options may not be viable in the short term. Moreover, bioenergy has the potential to be converted into process heating, building materials, and plastics, which are not considered in this study. A set of pathways was carefully chosen to represent viable options for converting ample herbaceous and woody cellulosic feedstocks into fuels, chemicals, and electricity in this study. In conclusion, biomass pathways provide flexibility by generating various types of bioenergy and bioproducts, including electricity, hydrogen, liquid fuels, biochemicals, and bioplastics. When paired with carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS), specific bioenergy approaches can effectively extract carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, thus providing an effective decarbonization option for the transportation sector.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
NASA NTRS1977

Design techniques for modular integrated utility systems

Features basic to the integrated utility system, such as solid waste incineration, heat recovery and usage, and water recycling/treatment, are compared in terms of cost, fuel conservation, and efficiency to conventional utility systems in the same mean-climatic area of Washington, D. C. The larger of the two apartment complexes selected for the test showed the more favorable results in the three areas of comparison. Restrictions concerning the sole use of currently available technology are hypothetically removed to consider the introduction and possible advantages of certain advanced techniques in an integrated utility system; recommendations are made and costs are estimated for each type of system.

Wolfer, B. M.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Waste Collector System Technology Comparisons for Constellation Applications

The Waste Collection Systems (WCS) for space vehicles have utilized a variety of hardware for collecting human metabolic wastes. It has typically required multiple missions to resolve crew usability and hardware performance issues that are difficult to duplicate on the ground. New space vehicles should leverage off past WCS systems. Past WCS hardware designs are substantially different and unique for each vehicle. However, each WCS can be analyzed and compared as a subset of technologies which encompass fecal collection, urine collection, air systems, pretreatment systems. Technology components from the WCS of various vehicles can then be combined to reduce hardware mass and volume while maximizing use of previous technology and proven human-equipment interfaces. Analysis of past US and Russian WCS are compared and extrapolated to Constellation missions.

Broyan, James Lee, Jr.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Strontium Speciation in Relevant Tank Waste Components Examined by Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry

The identification of chemical species formed in complex nuclear waste is crucial for the development and employment of advanced separations technologies to remediate the Hanford site by processing tank waste. The current Tank Side Cesium Removal (TSCR) process deployed at Hanford utilizes crystalline silicotitanate (CST) ion exchange (IX) media to aid in the separation of low-activity waste for proper treatment and disposal. The inorganic IX media is highly selective for Cs but has been shown to also remove Sr from caustic simulants and small-scale IX processing of Hanford tank waste.(Fiskum, Rovira et al. 2019, Fiskum, Campbell et al. 2021, Westesen, Campbell et al. 2022) Quantitative Sr removal has not been observed in all tank waste supernates tested; thus, to better understand Sr removal and effectively predict processing behavior through TSCR, it is necessary to first investigate Sr speciation in tank waste. This work utilized electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) to identify ionic Sr complexes that form in the presence of NO 3 –, NO 2 –, OH–, and Cl–. Although our results show that NO 3 –, NO 2 –, and OH– are competitive for Sr 2+ binding, previous data from IX studies indicate that [SrOH] + is not the dominant species of concern in tank waste processing schemes.(Fiskum, Campbell and Trang-Le 2020) Our results show that the [Sr(NO3)]+ species and the [Sr(NO2)] + species form in considerable abundances, which may affect the ability to separate Sr using CST in nuclear waste separation processes.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2020

Quantitative Determination of Total Cesium in Savannah River Site (SRS) Tank Waste by Inductively Coupled Plasma Emission Spectroscropy

Utilization of the significant and unique wavelength dynamic range (165 to 1100 nm) available on the Leeman Prodigy Inductively Coupled Plasma Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-ES) allows for quantification of cesium using the emission line 894.347 nm without the potential of Barium interference in nuclear waste samples. Samples are added to a Sodium Peroxide Fusion and Lithium Carbonate buffer in 2% nitric acid solution to increase sensitivity of the easily ionizable (<6 eV) cesium for quantitation to 5 pbb. Through direct comparison of analytical data results, the method is proven to be complementary to the Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis (LOQ 100 ppt) in support of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Nuclear Waste Mission.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2023

Exploration of a Novel Technique for Waste Heat Recovery Through Molecular Dynamics: Influence of Wettability and Electric Field on Water and Water-Based Nanofluids

Most of the energy produced globally comes by way of a heat engine. The Carnot principle places a limit as to how thermodynamically efficient a heat engine can be. There is no heat engine that can be 100% thermodynamically efficient and as such a substantial proportion of all heat supplied to a heat engine is lost as waste heat. Waste heat therefore is a large energy source ready to be properly utilized. Herein, a novel approach for converting waste heat to electricity is discussed. It involves the use of the liquid to vapor phase change of a material dielectric (water) or electrolyte (nanofluid) in the embodiment of a capacitor for direct thermal to electrostatic energy conversion. While this method of waste heat recovery could potentially be added to the ever expanding portfolio of energy conversion techniques, a number of aspects must be addressed before it can be brought into practice. Water was seen as an ideal dielectric phase change material given its high relative permittivity ratio when in the liquid form as compared to its vapor form. However, given its short voltage holdoff time the phase change of water would need to occur rapidly. This brings up concerns of explosive boiling. Herein, molecular dynamics analysis into the explosive boiling behavior of thin water films gave more insight into how the interaction between the surface and liquid affected explosive boiling onset time. A Lennard-Jones potential with one interaction site and a Morse potential with three interaction sites between water and solid substrate were used. It was found generally that a stronger interaction between water film and substrate led to faster explosive boiling onset times but an increase in the number of interaction sites delayed explosive boiling, even at the same wettability (contact angle). Understanding changes in the density and enthalpy of vaporization of a liquid dielectric such as water in the presence of an electric field is of importance due to the electrostatic nature of the waste heat conversion method under consideration. Specifically, if both density and enthalpy of vaporization are increased, the thermodynamic efficiency of the waste heat conversion method under consideration is decreased. Electric field effects are explored herein via molecular dynamics using two water models, the TIP4P-Ew and SWM4-NDP. The SWM4-NDP model is polarizable while the TIP4P-Ew model is not, which allows for a determination of the importance of model polarizability (i.e. variation in water model dipole moment) on these two properties of water when subjected to an electric field. Herein it was found that both water models respond similarly in terms of density and vaporization enthalpy variance upon the introduction of an electric field. Comparison was also made to the pressure induced by the electric field (electrostriction pressure) by way of a density comparison and it was found that the predicted electrostriction pressure overestimates the pressure experienced by water. Water by itself has a high enthalpy of vaporization, which limits the efficiency of the newly proposed conversion method. Research both experimental and through simulation has shown that the vaporization enthalpy of nanofluids can be engineered via nanoparticle size and material selection. An avenue less explored is manipulating the enthalpy of vaporization by altering the interaction strength between the nanoparticles and the base fluid. In practice this could be achieved through the addition of coatings to the nanoparticles to alter their wettability to the base fluid. This was explored by using a Lennard-Jones potential and Morse potential to model the interaction between base fluid (water) and the nanoparticle. For nanoparticles 2nm in diameter and at weight percentages up to 6%, the change in vaporization enthalpy due to alterations of the interaction strength between nanoparticle and base fluid was not significant (less than a 1% difference) when compared to the effect of altering the weight percentage of nanoparticles in the nanofluid or introducing an electric field. However, the effect of wettability may still become important at other nanoparticle concentrations and sizes. In all, the studies presented here further the understanding of phase change and thermodynamic properties of water and water based nanofluids under an electrostatic field which will help inform the development of a novel approach to waste heat conversion. The reduction of waste heat will improve energy sustainability outlooks.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗
DOE OSTI2021

Quantification of Raman-Interfering Polyoxoanions for Process Analysis: Comparison of Different Chemometric Models and a Demonstration on Real Hanford Waste

The Hanford site represents a complicated environmental remediation challenge, remaining from the production of nuclear weapons. Over 100 million gallons of liquid radioactive waste of unknown composition will be chemically processed and vitrified, but the varying chemical composition and highly radioactive nature of the waste preclude the implementation of more developed, offline technologies to determine the composition. The only practical approach to waste treatment will require the significant utilization of real-time, chemometric modeling approaches. Although chemometric approaches have been applied to the analysis of Hanford waste, the models developed were highly tank-specialized, and limited discussion was provided on how models fared with interfering signals. As the tank waste is largely composed of oxoanions, which tend to have interfering Raman spectra, the general question was posed as to what chemometric approach is best suited to accurately quantify analytes in the presence of interfering signals. This was carried out by examining the ability of classical least square (CLS), principal component regression (PCR), partial least square (PLS), and locally weighted regression (LWR) to quantify NO 3 – and CO 3 2– using their bands around 1050 cm –1 . Finally, for all samples, the PLS-based model was found to be the most efficient approach from a model building and application perspective.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Blending as an In-Tank Waste Processing Strategy: Year 1 Progress Report

The Hanford Site stores approximately 56 million gallons of radioactive legacy defense waste in underground tanks. Direct feed of southeast quadrant tank waste to a high-level waste treatment facility is currently being explored to accelerate tank treatment activities. This study seeks to de-risk waste transfers by favorably altering the resuspension and critical velocities of wastes through strategic waste blending. Wastes rich in aluminum- and zirconium-bearing solids pose significant risks due to their high settled strength and density. A series of tests explores how solid phase particle size and suspending phase chemistry alter waste transport properties, quantified through the just-suspended mixing speed (NJS), for pure and blended aluminum- and zirconium-bearing waste solid simulants. The study utilizes a range of gibbsites (three sizes spanning 10 to 90 µm) and zirconia solids (three sizes spanning 10 to 100 µm). As expected, the NJS of pure solids largely follows predictions based on literature correlations; blends of gibbsite and zirconium-bearing solids of differing particle sizes exhibit NJS maxima attributed to dense packing of the mixed-size settled solids. The findings of this study will assist in developing strategies to optimize the transport of waste solids for the safe and efficient delivery of tank waste.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2024

Production of chitosan-based composite film reinforced with lignin-rich lignocellulose nanofibers from rice husk

Lignocellulosic nanofibers (LCNFs), implying lignin-containing cellulose fibers, maintain the properties of both lignin and cellulose, which are hydrophobic and hydrophilic, respectively. The presence of hydrophobic lignin in LCNFs is expected to be an economical and attractive option that can improve the thermal and mechanical properties of polymers. Thus, this study was conducted to produce lignin-rich LCNFs from sugar-rich waste obtained from rice husks after acidic pretreatment. The LCNFs were produced from the lignin-rich solid fractions obtained after pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis, which were then incorporated as an additive into a chitosan-based film. The variations in lignin content in the range of approximately 50.6%-66.8% in differently obtained LCNFs gave significantly different optical strengths and mechanical properties. These controllable processes may allow for customized film formation. Additionally, the glucose-rich liquid fractions obtained after pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis were used as a substrate for ethanol fermentation to achieve total utilization of rice husk biomass waste. In conclusion, the lignin-rich biomass fraction holds promise as a suitable material for chitosan-LCNF film and has the potential to increase the economic feasibility of the biomaterial industry.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Waste Compliance and Tracking System (WCATS) Version 3 Requirements Document

This document describes the end-user requirements for the Waste Compliance and Tracking System (WCATS) project in accordance with the WCATS Software Quality Management Plan, EPC-WMP-WCATSPLAN-001. The WCATS application shall support the generation, characterization, processing, and shipment of LANL radioactive, hazardous, and industrial waste. Regulatory drivers include RCRA hazardous waste, DOT shipping, NNSA nuclear material control and accountability, DOE nuclear safety, TSDF permit, and transuranic waste certification requirements. The system will utilize a task-based architecture that supports the spectrum of treatment, storage, disposal, administrative, and characterization based unit operations necessary to manage waste from cradle to grave. The application design shall readily accommodate new facilities, processes, workflow, signature requirements, and so forth, via end-user established metadata. WCATS will provide support for representing waste storage and disposal facilities, buildings, rooms, and grid layouts (x, y, z) to support waste and radioactive material inventory management. Nuclear material at risk (MAR), DOE hazard rating (e.g., Category II facility) compliance per DOE-STD-1027, and permit inventory requirements will be configurable for any storage or disposal facility, or waste operation, and the system will automatically evaluate and enforce those requirements. In addition, the application will support the characterization and management of the entire range of hazardous and radioactive wastes (TRU, MTRU, LLW, MLLW, hazardous waste, etc.) that might be colocated or processed at a permitted facility. Some capabilities not found in traditional systems include user-defined tank systems for liquid waste, user-defined work paths (i.e., sequence of operations), and an equipment subsystem for tracking the calibration, maintenance, and inspection of tools used to process waste, such as torque wrenches, scales, pH probes, etc. The application incorporates a desktop and mobile user interface as shown in Figure 1. The mobile interface supports field operations, such as waste item characterization, intra-facility transfers, internal and external audits, and shipment preparation and receipt.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2022

Unraveling the regulation of sugar beet pulp utilization in the industrially relevant fungus Aspergillus niger

Efficient utilization of agro-industrial waste, such as sugar beet pulp, is crucial for the bio-based economy. The fungus Aspergillus niger possesses a wide array of enzymes that degrade complex plant biomass substrates, and several regulators have been reported to play a role in their production. The role of the regulators GaaR, AraR, and RhaR in sugar beet pectin degradation has previously been reported. However, genetic regulation of the degradation of sugar beet pulp has not been assessed in detail. In this study, we generated a set of single and combinatorial deletion mutants targeting the pectinolytic regulators GaaR, AraR, RhaR, and GalX as well as the (hemi-)cellulolytic regulators XlnR and ClrB to address their relative contribution to the utilization of sugar beet pulp. We show that A. niger has a flexible regulatory network, adapting to the utilization of (hemi-)cellulose at early timepoints when pectin degradation is impaired.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Atom Probe Tomography Investigation of Clustering in Model P 2 O 5 -Doped Borosilicate Glasses for Nuclear Waste Vitrification

Atom probe tomography (APT) has been utilized to investigate the microstructure of two model borosilicate glasses designed to understand the solubility limits of phosphorous pentoxide (P 2 O 5 ). This component is found in certain high-level radioactive defence wastes destined for vitrification, where phase separation can potentially lead to a number of issues relating to the processing of the glass and its long-term chemical and structural stability. The development of suitable focused ion beam (FIB)-preparation routes and APT analysis conditions were initially determined for the model glasses, before examining their detailed microstructures. In a 3.0 mol% P 2 O 5 -doped glass, both visual inspection and sensitive statistical analysis of the APT data show homogeneous microstructures, while raising the content to 4.0 mol% initiates the formation of phosphorus-enriched nanoscale precipitates. This study confirms the expected inhomogeneities and phase separation of these glasses and offers routes to characterizing these at near-atomic scale resolution using APT.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2025

Polypropylene Composites Reinforced With Recycled Waste Cellulosic Fiber/Fine Mixture: The Impact of Cellulose Sieving on Performance

This study explores how a sieving step of waste cellulosic fiber and fine (WCFF) mixture affects the performance of WCFF‐loaded polypropylene (PP) composites and whether the separation of fines from fibers offers an added benefit. The WCFF samples were downsized, and four different filler size ranges were sieved using a series of mesh sizes from 4 to 0.85 mm. The WCFF/PP composites were then compounded at 20 wt.% loading of WCFF using a twin‐screw extruder. Incorporating WCFF increased the tensile strength to 41.28 MPa and the modulus to 3207 MPa, accounting for 28% and 38% enhancements, respectively. Interestingly, the greatest improvements were associated with the nonsieved WCFF case, and the sieved WCFF fibers provided only marginal enhancements over virgin PP. The outperformance of nonsieved WCFF was attributed to the synergistic reinforcement of hybrid fibers and fines as well as the maintenance of longer fibers in the system. However, the strain at break and impact strength of PP decreased after introducing WCFF. Moreover, the complex viscosity and storage modulus increased with an increase in the filler size, due to the formation of a more effective percolative network. The PP's crystallinity exhibited a relatively strong dependency on the sieving, where WCFF samples with short‐aspect‐ratio fillers promoted the crystallinity significantly. It was also found that the WCFF degradation onset temperature increased once it was incorporated into PP. This study suggests that waste cellulosic feedstocks can be utilized as a reinforcement without additional sieving to manufacture high‐performance and cost‐effective composites.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Large-Scale Molecular Dynamics Simulation of the Dehydration of a Suspension of Smectite Clay Nanoparticles

Fine-grained sediments and sedimentary rocks play important roles in a variety of modern energy technologies from petroleum geology to geological carbon sequestration and radioactive waste management. However, despite their utility and ubiquity, many of their properties remain poorly understood. In particular, the ability to predict the permeability and mechanics of these media remains a persistent fundamental challenge in the geosciences. In the present work, we show how large-scale classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations can help interpret the properties of fine-grained sedimentary material. All-atom simulations containing 30 discrete clay particles are utilized to understand the evolution of a clay nanoparticle suspension during its progressive dehydration. Microstructural (pore size distribution, tortuosity, anisotropy), thermodynamic (enthalpy and free energy of hydration, anion exclusion), mechanical (total suction), and transport properties (diffusion coefficient tensors of water and sodium) are calculated and compared to the experiment. Overall, our results provide new insight into the coupled chemistry, mechanics, and transport properties of disordered nanoparticle assemblages and shed light upon the important role of water films in controlling these properties.

02 PETROLEUM↗
DOE OSTI2026

Trash to Treasure: Waste Carbon into Construction Materials

Mineralization of industrial waste and earth-abundant CO2 into value-added products is a powerful method of utilizing domestic resources to produce value from waste. Carbonate minerals formed from Ca and Mg rich waste streams are key constituents in cement and concrete, which are in demand at the gigaton-scale every year. While thermodynamically favorable, CO2 mineralization is hindered by slow kinetics, and traditional thermochemical routes are too expensive to scale. Here, we demonstrate the advantages of an electrochemical method of waste valorization, which eliminates this limitation and improves kinetics. We highlight this method's ability to initiate crystallization under favorable local conditions, producing carbonates from mining waste at mildly acidic pH. We highlight the effects of key constituents in mining waste on the mineralization process.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Oak Ridge National Laboratory FY 2023 Site Sustainability Plan With FY 2022 Performance Data

At the close of each fiscal year, the US Department of Energy (DOE) Sustainability Performance Division (SPD) issues guidance documents and technical resource aids/tools necessary for DOE sites and national laboratories to complete sustainability reporting requirements. SPD is part of the DOE Office of Asset Management. As required by DOE Order 436.1, Departmental Sustainability, “each site will develop and commit to an annual Site Sustainability Plan (SSP) that identifies its respective contribution toward meeting the DOE’s sustainability goals.” SPD collects and compiles information reported by each site to develop an agency-wide Sustainability Report and Implementation Plan, which is used to report DOE sustainability progress to the federal government as required by all major federal agencies. DOE launched a formal Sustainability Office and annual SSP process in 2011. Each year, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), in concert with the Office of Science (SC), provides the resources essential to fulfill its commitment to deliver a complete and accurate SSP report and quality performance data for entry into the DOE Sustainability Dashboard as managed by SPD. The performance data entered by each DOE site are then combined to disclose the progress of each DOE Program Office and are further combined to show comprehensive progress for the agency. The Office of Asset Management provides assistance to program offices in sustaining their missions, freeing up resources by reducing waste, avoiding excess expenditure on utilities, maximizing productivity, and improving the efficiency of facilities and processes. By focusing on mission needs, programs and associated DOE sites can help the agency meet its sustainability goals, as outlined in federal statutory and regulatory requirements. In FY 2022, the SSP guidance was updated to capture requirements from Executive Order (EO) 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, the Energy Act of 2020 (EAct 20), actions outlined in DOE’s Climate Adaptation & Resilience Plan and Sustainability Plan, and EO 14057, Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability. Updates in SSP guidance help to minimize and streamline reporting while simultaneously addressing updated federal requirements. Per DOE, each SSP report should provide an overview of the site’s planned actions, as well as an overview of efforts and accomplishments during the reporting period. SPD collects and compiles information reported by each site to develop DOE’s Annual Sustainability Report, Climate Adaptation & Resilience Plan, and Annual Energy Management Report to Congress. The agency goal has been to lower the reporting burden for sites and increase and improve the consistency of information available to decision makers, allowing them to better identify projects and potential for increased efficiency, as well as to reduce waste, lower emissions, and enhance operational resilience. Sites may elect to produce a more polished publication for their leadership and stakeholders, but this step is no longer required. The ORNL SSP narrative report (this document) and the reporting of DOE SPD Sustainability Dashboard performance data is a collaborative effort of approximately 30 subject matter experts (SMEs) from ORNL facility management and research divisions. Annually, these associates come together to provide a report that can be used by DOE to demonstrate continued agency progress in energy efficiency and sustainable federal operations.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Economic Extraction, Recovery and Upgrading of Rare Earth Elements from Coal-Based Resources

The overall objective of this project is to produce a rare earth elements product with greater than 8% rare earth elements from coal-based resources using an economically viable and environmentally benign processing methodology. The objective of the coal processing work will be to acquire appropriate coal feed and produce a viable clean coal product, a concentrated REE feed stream, and a pyrite stream (where available) that can be used to enhance leaching. The objective of the bio-oxidation portion of the project is to utilize bacteria to oxidize sulfide minerals and ferrous ions to ferric ions to accelerate leaching and remove the sulfides to prevent future acid mine drainage and related liabilities. The objective of the solution conditioning work is to remove iron and control leaching solution conditions to facilitate extraction of REEs without significant thorium extraction. The objective of the column leaching work is to engineer/model and simulate heap leaching to demonstrate low-cost extraction of REEs from coal-based resources. The objective of the solvent extraction work is to selectively extract and recover through controlled stripping of REEs that are solubilized through leaching. The objective of the precipitation portion of the project is to recover the REEs from the solvent extraction stripping solutions and dry them to achieve the final product of rare earth elements that is > 8 % REEs. The objective of the technical, economic, and environmental analysis is to determine the overall viability of the processing approach that is demonstrated in this project. This project encompasses a range of technologies that are currently in industrial practice that are applied and engineered to produce rare earth element product from coal feed sources. The potential sources include large coal feed resources in active coal mines in addition to coal waste. This technology involves the utilization of advanced coal processing technology that can be used to deliver clean coal for the market as well as rare-earth-element-bearing non-coal rock that is of the correct size for heap leaching applications in addition to providing concentrated sulfide minerals (for mid to high sulfur coals) for cleaner coal and for enhanced bio-oxidation to accelerate leaching of REEs from the non-coal rock. The removal of the sulfide minerals cleans the coal, accelerates subsequent REEs extraction, and it removes the future potential for most acid-rock drainage. (For low sulfur coals some pyrite may be purchased if needed.) The processing method also utilizes bio-oxidation to enhance ferric ion production to enhance leaching, while also consuming the sulfide mineral and its associated environmental liability. The project includes a technical, economic, and environmental analysis to facilitate an appropriate assessment of commercial viability for this processing technology.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗