CMI leaders and researchers at Missouri S&T and their research are described in the article "Missouri mining could get a boost from Trump tariffs and trade tiffs with China and Congo"
Missouri mining companies and scientists are working to strengthen domestic supply chains of critical minerals like cobalt, gallium and germanium by tapping into industrial waste and re-mining historic sites. With fluctuations affecting two major suppliers of these minerals, local initiatives have brought Missouri to the forefront of addressing the national challenges.
Kwame Awuah-Offei, professor of mining and explosives engineering at the Missouri University of Science and Technology, has been working closely with the companies and believes both have made significant progress.
“Those are the two initiatives ongoing in Missouri today that could fill the gap,” Awuah-Offei said.
Michael Moats, chair of materials science and engineering at Missouri S&T, said that about 50% of U.S. imports of germanium come from China.
“That puts a significant burden on the United States, potentially,” Moats said. “So there’s a lot of movement inside the federal government looking at sourcing of materials for defense and economic purposes.”
Lana Alagha, an associate professor of mining and explosives engineering at Missouri S&T, believes this estimate underscores the nation’s heavy reliance on Chinese sources.
“In response to these supply challenges, Missouri is taking proactive measures,” Alagha said in an email. “Missouri S&T has received several awards to develop innovative methods for extracting gallium and germanium from mining waste, including copper slags, copper smelter dust, and tailings from the tristate district.”
Missouri S&T is conducting a project that involves extracting gallium and germanium from zinc leach residue produced from a process that starts with steel recycling.
The project has been investigating advanced extraction methods, such as solvent extraction and ion exchange, since 2022 and is continuing into 2026.
The project is funded by the Critical Materials Innovation Hub, U.S. DOE Energy Innovation Hub, led by Ames National Laboratory. Moats, also the area lead of CMI, thinks they have found a way to selectively capture germanium.
Link to the full article: Missouri mining could get a boost from Trump tariffs and trade tiffs with China and Congo