This project will develop a cost-effective approach for the flotation of phosphate minerals containing rare earth elements (REE) sourced from conventional and unconventional sources including ores, tailings and processing streams. Emphasis is on improving the economics of producing concentrates via design of selective collectors, aiming to develop improved beneficiation technologies for monazite recovery that can be licensed to domestic REE producers. For this purpose, researchers will develop a multimodal platform for building an in-depth understanding of the key molecular interactions at the mineral interfaces. This platform will integrate analytical, computational, advanced surface-sensitive spectroscopic, and mineral processing capabilities.
