243 Critical Mineral Resources and Recovery in the Americas: Emerging Methods in Exploration and Sustainable Extraction, Part I

This session explores the role of critical minerals in technology and the low-carbon economy, focusing on geological discoveries, sustainable extraction methods, and recycling to support secure, environmentally responsible mineral supply chains in the Americas.

Wednesday, 22 October 2025
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
HBGCC, 217A

Advancing Critical Mineral Production from Solid Sources

Paper number: 243-2
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 8:25 AM – 8:40 AM

Authors

Abstract

The Sustainable Mineral Technology (SusMinT) Laboratory at Virginia Tech is dedicated to advancing innovative processes for the recovery and purification of critical minerals from both conventional and unconventional sources. Our research addresses growing challenges in securing a domestic supply of essential materials such as rare earth elements, lithium, and cobalt by leveraging interdisciplinary approaches across mineral processing, hydrometallurgy, and environmental engineering. This presentation will provide a high-level overview of our recent efforts to recover critical minerals from solid sources. Key highlights include the development of novel extraction processes and technologies for critical mineral recovery from coal, coal refuse, spent lithium-ion batteries, ultramafic rocks, etc.  

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 57, No. 6

doi: 10.1130/abs/2025AM-413203

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