Research combines advanced sensing and machine learning to modernize mineral processing
Ames National Laboratory has been selected to receive $1.5 million through the U.S. Department of Energy's Mine of the Future Research, Development, and Demonstration initiative, which supports technologies designed to modernize mining practices and strengthen domestic critical mineral supply chains. The project, led by Ames Lab researchers and industry partners, is among a group of national laboratory efforts announced today by the Department of Energy to advance innovative mining and mineral processing technologies.
The Ames Lab project, Magnetoacoustic-Induced Conditioning of Rare-earth Ores Guided by Computer Vision (MICRO-Vision), focuses on one of the most fundamental steps in mining: breaking and grinding rock to separate valuable minerals from surrounding material. Researchers will develop technologies that use magnetic and acoustic fields, computer vision, and machine learning to help ore break more precisely along natural mineral boundaries. The goal is to recover more critical minerals while reducing energy use, waste, and unnecessary processing.
“Ames National Laboratory has built unique strengths in critical materials research, mineral processing, chemical separations, and rare earth technologies," said Tom Lograsso, director of the Division of Critical Materials at Ames National Laboratory and the Critical Materials Innovation Hub. "Those capabilities, along with strong partnerships across industry, universities, and the national labs, allow us to take on some of the toughest challenges facing the domestic critical minerals supply chain. This project is a great example of how we're applying that expertise to improve recovery of valuable minerals from U.S. resources.”
The project is led by Shan Hu, a scientist at Ames National Laboratory and associate professor of mechanical engineering at Iowa State University. She is joined by co-principal investigators Ikenna Nlebedim, a scientist specializing in critical materials for Ames National Laboratory and the Critical Materials Innovation Hub; Yuderka Trinidad, an assistant professor in geotechnical engineering at Iowa State; and Mark Mba-Wright, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at Iowa State.
This work is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation through the Mine of the Future initiative, which supports technologies that strengthen domestic critical mineral supply chains and modernize U.S. mining practices.
Ames National Laboratory is a U.S. Department of EnergOffice of Science National Laboratory operated by Iowa State University. Ames Laboratory creates innovative materials, technologies, and energy solutions. We use our expertise, unique capabilities, and interdisciplinary collaborations to solve global problems.
Ames Laboratory is supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit https://energy.gov/science