Technology Metals & Rare Earth Elements  

STRATEGIC METAL RECOVERY

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Strategic metals are generally defined as metals vital to modern technology and industry, but that have sources susceptible to disruption. 

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Technologies such as jet engines, lasers, X-ray equipment, long-life batteries, glass, and high-strength steel parts are all made possible through the use of strategic metals. 

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Click here for a list and their uses. 

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There is a global shortage of economically mined, safe, and stable strategic metals.

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The US Department of Energy continues to lead significant efforts into the development of technologies to recover strategic elements.  

Coal-burning should be considered the first step of a closed-loop, economically and socially viable method of unconventional mining such that power generation and clean building material production, from an economic perspective, are secondary benefits.

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The SonoAsh patented process removes 75% of the ash material leaving the 25% carbon fraction with all metals encapsulated.  The result is a unique and exceptionally rich ore body allowing for energy and metal extraction opportunities.  

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SonoAsh has partnered in two separate consortia. The first is in conjunction with Frostburg State University (MD), the University of Maryland, SUNY (NY), and federally, Oakridge (TN) & Brookhaven (NY) National Laboratories (NY) with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), to consider maximum value from Appalachian coal and coal ash. 

 

The second is with New Mexico Technical College, San Juan College (NM) the New Mexico Department of Mines, and federally, Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories (NM), to consider maximum value from Powder River coal and coal ash.