Elements of Geometallurgy in the Quest for Commercial Critical Minerals Production

Date and Time
Location
401 Steidle Building
Numerous critical mineral commodities are used in advanced energy systems, in applications involving gas turbines, renewable power generation, energy storage, and associated electronics. The development if new mineral production capacity in the U.S. can result in new opportunities for graduates with backgrounds in financial modeling, geosciences, mining, mineral processing, and extractive metallurgy. The concept of Geometallurgy requires an aggregation of these fields and has been described as "a scientific discipline in which geological data, mining data, and processing data are co-analyzed to generate useful information and knowledge to optimize resources profitability." A significant body of research is required to bring a project to commercial production. This presentation will highlight the project development process as well as the types of research results that are required to prepare a package that can attract investment. Examples from current activities in the U.S. will be used and included will be basic means by which the progress of this research can be continuously evaluated with respect to the goal of optimized resource profitability.