Enormous cache of rare earth elements hidden inside coal ash waste, study suggests
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Coal ash—the chalky remnants of coal that has been burned for fuel—has been piling up across the United States for decades. But new research led by The University of Texas at Austin has found that the national coal ash supply contains enough rare earth elements to significantly bolster the national supply without any new mining.
"This really exemplifies the 'trash to treasure' mantra," said co-lead author Bridget Scanlon, a research professor at UT's Bureau of Economic Geology at the Jackson School of Geosciences. "We're basically trying to close the cycle and use waste and recover resources in the waste, while at the same time reducing environmental impacts."
Rare earth elements are a group of 17 elements that are essential for modern technology. They are also necessary for the energy transition to lower carbon fuels, with these elements being put to use in solar panels, batteries, magnets and other energy technologies.
