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Available for Licensing - Electrochemical Rare Earth Recovery from Coal Fly Ash: Turn Waste Stockpiles into Critical Materials Revenue
Contact and place of performance
Javier Martinez
Idaho Falls, ID 83401
USA
Electrochemical Rare Earth Recovery from Coal Fly Ash: Turn Waste Stockpiles into Critical Materials Revenue Technology Overview Researchers at Idaho National Laboratory have developed an electrochemical process that selectively extracts rare earth elements (REEs) from coal fly ash leachate using electricity instead of chemical reagents. The technology employs tuned anodic electrosorption with f...
View moreBottom line: there's no efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally sustainable technology for REE recovery from coal fly ash at commercial scale.
Competitive Advantages
Conventional solvent extraction approaches:
Separation factors typically below 10, requiring 50 to 200 extraction cycles
Processing times measured in days to weeks
Heavy reliance on chemical reagents
Significant hazardous waste generation and disposal costs
Large footprint, batch-based systems
Increasing regulatory and ESG pressure
INL electrochemical process:
Separation Factor ~7
Processing completed in hours
Electricity-driven, reagent-free operation
Minimal waste generation
Compact, modular system design
Lower disposal burden and ESG-aligned operation
Additional Benefits: 60% recovery efficiency, reusable electrodes, lower operating costs, faster time to revenue.
Market Applications
Coal Power Plants (200+ in U.S.) - Convert fly ash from liability to revenue stream
REE Recovery Companies - Replace chemical extraction with cleaner, faster processing
Environmental Remediation - Process mining tailings, contaminated soils
Critical Materials Supply Chain - Domestic REE sourcing for defense and electronics
Beyond Coal Fly Ash - Applicable to any complex mixed-ion separation challenge
Development and Licensing
Current Stage: Laboratory-scale validation Underway
Next Step: Pilot-scale demonstration with commercial partner
Idaho National Laboratory is seeking industrial partners to license and commercialize this patent-pending technology. INL does not procure services as part of its collaboration agreements.
Researchers at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) have developed an electrochemical process for the selective extraction of rare earth elements (REEs) from coal fly ash leachate. This technology utilizes tuned anodic electrosorption with functionalized mesoporous carbon electrodes, employing electricity instead of traditional chemical reagents to separate REEs from competing metal ions. The process aims to address the environmental and economic limitations of conventional solvent extraction by offering a separation factor of approximately seven, reducing processing times from weeks to hours, and providing a 60% recovery efficiency through a compact, modular system.
The Department of Energy, through the Battelle Energy Alliance–DOE Contractor, is seeking industrial partners to license and commercialize this patent-pending technology, which is currently at the laboratory-scale validation stage. The initiative targets applications in coal power plants, REE recovery operations, environmental remediation, and the domestic critical materials supply chain. This Special Notice, identified by solicitation number BA-1747, falls under PSC AJ11 for General Science and Technology R&D Services; General Science and Technology; Basic Research.
The primary place of performance is Idaho Falls, Idaho, and the response deadline for this opportunity is August 1, 2026. Interested parties may coordinate with the point of contact, Javier Martinez. There are currently zero attachments associated with this notice. INL facilitates these collaboration agreements for the purpose of technology transfer and does not procure services as part of the licensing process.
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