Research Highlights

Diversifying lithium supply from brines to hard-rock minerals: mechanochemical extraction of lithium at low temperature (MELLT) from α-spodumenes

CMI researchers from Ames National Laboratory conducted the activity for this highlight

A comprehensive model to predict metal ion binding constants

CMI researchers from Ames National Laboratory conducted the activity for this highlight

41 MG-Oe Nd-Fe-B magnet produced with the REMAFS Process

CMI researchers from Ames National Laboratory and Terves conducted the activity for this highlight

Microstructural design for enhancing coercivity

CMI researchers from Ames National Laboratory conducted the activity for this highlight

Computational tool for new magnet performance assessment

CMI researchers from Ames National Laboratory conducted the activity for this highlight

CMI fosters workforce development by supporting early-career researchers at 2024 Scialog Conference

CMI researchers from Ames National Laboratory and Missouri S&T conducted the activity for this highlight

Rare Earth Element (REE) Extraction with Ionic Liquid (IL)

While organic solvent extraction is a commonly employed technique for rare earth element (REE) recovery, it poses challenges associated with a high volatility, toxicity of solvent, and energy consumption. To address these issues, ionic liquids (ILs) have emerged as more environmentally friendly alternatives, offering low volatility and tunable properties to improve recovery processes. Reports have shown that adding extractants improves both the selectivity and affinity for rare earth element (REE) capture. However, the surrounding chemical environment of REEs in these systems remains not well understood.

Schematic representation of molecular interactions.

Discovery of stable nanodomains in an ionic liquid between 20 and 50˚C could enhance separations

Ionic liquids have exceptional properties in separations that may benefit the DOE mission in sequestering CO2 or rare earth elements. Understanding their structure provides a means of exploiting them. Previous investigations have focused on the small (~1-nm) domains formed by ionic liquids. We observe two large domains in tetradecyltrihexyl phosphonium chloride that are stable up to 50˚C.

Model for an arbitrary type of separation between two phases.

Extreme Confinement Stabilizes Undercoordinated Sites

Scientists at Ames National Laboratory discovered that confinement effects can be sufficient to reduce the effective coordination number of a metal in grafted organometallic complexes. They applied nuclear dipolar coupling measurements to study the temperature-dependent motions of rare earth amidinate complexes grafted to silica support materials. They observed that ligand dynamics could be hindered, and slowed down, in narrow-pore environments.

Visualization of increased motions under extreme confinement from the breaking of support-metal interactions

CMI partner wins wind turbine recycling prize

CMI researchers from Ames National Laboratory and TdVib conducted the activity for this highlight