Things happening in the background on the REE front.

Extraction of Clay-Hosted Rare-Earth Element Deposits in Australia

Extraction of Clay-Hosted Rare-Earth Element Deposits in Australia - Minerals Research Institute of WAMinerals Research Institute of WA

The Challenge

While in abundance, extracting Rare Earth Elements from clay hosted resources has environmental challenges.

The added problem is that for extraction to be effective large amounts of host material needs to be mined efficiently and economically whilst meeting these environmental challenges.

Demand however for heavy rare earths to drive the transition to renewables makes the extraction and supply chains both critical and strategic for Western Australia.

REE are listed as critical minerals in Australia for their crucial role in the clean energy transition. China currently controls ~80% of the global heavy REE resources, which poses a significant supply risk to global economy.

Proposed Solution

To develop effective, economically competitive, and environmentally sustainable organic acid extraction methods for rare earth elements (REE) in non-ionic clay-hosted deposits in Australia.

With the successful collaboration of a number of REE companies in phase 1 characterisation of the minerals (M10500), this project further advances REE extraction using the knowledge of Curtin University C3MET team and RSC global geochemistry expertise.

Organic acid extraction techniques will be tested against industry supplied representative samples to optimise recovery of REE whilst ensuring the remaining products and waste are environmentally sustainable. The techno economics of these methods will be checked for viability.

Industry sponsors Narryer Metals Limited, Cygnus Metals Limited, Dreadnought Resources Limited, Terrain Minerals Limited, Pluto Resources, Curtin University and Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Trailblazer will ensure a collaborative and pragmatic approach across a variety of resources. Identifying other strategic minerals included such as Gallium, Hafnium or Niobium may also improve the economics of extraction through bi- products identified.

Proposed Benefits to WA

REE are listed as critical minerals in Australia for their crucial role in the clean energy transition. China currently controls ~80% of the global heavy REE resources, which poses a significant supply risk to global economy. Western Australia (WA) is well placed to diversify the global REE supply chain, with an exploration boom, fuelled by strong global demand for REE, resulting in over 60 new clay-hosted REE discoveries in the last two years. However, low grades of clay-hosted REE deposits, in addition to refractory primary and secondary minerals hosting the bulk of the REEs (i.e. they are not ionically adsorbed onto clays akin to those in China), present a mineral processing and extraction challenge. Consequently, development of new and green extraction methodologies is needed for economic extraction of REEs from clay-hosted REE deposits, which is crucial to securing a reliable supply of REEs in WA