The Des Moines Register shared the story of Iowa-based Critical Materials Recycling having been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy as one of six companies to receive a $500,000 cash prize and $100,000 in assistance from national laboratories. Twenty projects were selected in the initial phase of the DOE prize and awarded smaller sums, $75,000, to further develop their concepts.
Critical materials recycling is a big focus for the department across various industries, not just wind technology. Most of that research is going on at the Critical Materials Innovation Hub led by the Ames National Laboratory in Ames.
Ikenna Nlebedim, a scientist at the Hub who worked with Critical Materials Recycling, said rare earth recycling is “a key strategy” for U.S. sustainability, security and technological advancement.
Critical Materials Recycling worked with the Ames National Laboratory to use an acid-free dissolution recycling process that has little to no waste, saves more of the metal components and doesn’t expose technicians to dangerous acids.
See the full story: Iowa company wins prize for recycling rare earth materials from wind turbines, electronics