REEs, a group of 17 elements from the periodic table, are said to be an integral component of products such as smart phones, lasers, DVDs, LEDs, and computer hard drives.
The 18-month project will receive funding which will be used for research in support of the laboratory’s effort to identify and characterize coal and coal by-products containing high concentrations of REE.
Additionally, the funding will be used by the projects to identify, field sample, and chemical analyze domestic coal and coal by-products from different geological regions across to in order to determine where REEs are located in high concentrations.
The funding will be granted to organizations including Tetra Tech in Fort Collins, Tetra Tech in Pittsburgh, University of Kentucky Research Foundation, West Virginia University Water Resources Research Institute, and XLight.
NETL said that the funding is part of its Rare Earth Elements Program, which aims to help fuel nation’s economic prosperity and increase our national security through collaborative research.
Additionally, the REEs are expected to offer the potential to create new industries in regions where coal is abundant.
