Our Top 5 Critical Minerals Research Areas
Thomas J. O’Keefe Institute for Sustainable Supply of Strategic Minerals
For over 150 years, Missouri S&T has served as one of the nation’s leaders in the fields of mining, mineral processing and extractive metallurgy.
Our expert researchers are now working to address the United States’ challenges related to critical minerals, which the Energy Act of 2020 defines as non-fuel minerals vital to the nation’s economic or national security.
1
Public policy development encouraging the recovery of critical materials from existing and new process streams
Dr. Mahelet Fikru, associate professor of economics, researches public perceptions and policy development. She works to understand the public’s awareness of critical minerals and its role in achieving net-zero carbon emission. She also considers potential policy frameworks to support the domestic recovery of these minerals.
2
Developing new processes to recover critical minerals as byproducts from existing processes and new sources
Drs. Michael Moats and Lana Alagha lead S&T’s charge for this area. Moats is a professor and chair of materials science and engineering, and Alagna is a Robert H. Quenon Associate Professors of Mining Engineering. Last year, Moats appeared before a U.S. House of Representatives panel to provide expert testimony on the country’s critical minerals production and the impact of foreign production of these minerals.
3
Identifying new sources of critical minerals within the U.S.
Dr. Marek Locmelis, associate professor of geology and geophysics, researches new locations to sustainably source critical minerals. He explores where mineral deposits may lie deep within the Earth. He is also chair of S&T’s Resilient Supply of Critical Minerals national workshop, which receives funding from the National Science Foundation.
4
Life cycle-based criticality assessments of existing and new processes for critical mineral recovery
Dr. Kwame Awuah-Offei, Union Pacific/Rocky Mountain Energy Professor and chair of mining and explosives engineering, studies the viability and efficiency of processes for recovering critical minerals from start to finish. He is also the executive director of the S&T-led critical minerals Tech Hub and leads the O’Keefe Institute.
5
Sustainability assessment and environmental mitigation of potential hazards of existing and new processes
For this research area, Awuah-Offei considers what harmful effects critical mineral recovery processes will have on the environment, as well as potential methods to address these issues.
We are one of 31 designated Tech Hubs in the U.S.
The Critical Minerals and Materials for Advanced Energy (CM2AE) consortium led by Missouri S&T was selected as one of the nation’s 31 Tech Hubs on Oct. 23, 2023. The Tech Hub Program, administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA), focuses on supporting innovation and job creation in key technology areas.
The CM2AE Consortium has submitted its Phase 2 implementation plan for consideration for funding. The consortium’s funding request was for $63 million in federal funding to match $7 million in Missouri funding to implement the Tech Hub’s plans. EDA will award 5 to 10 grants, with each recipient receiving $40 million to $70 million by summer 2024.
