Efficiency

Missouri University of Science and Technology aims to establish a novel pathway to extract energy-relevant minerals, such as nickel and cobalt, from CO2-reactive and low-grade silicate feedstock (e.g., lean ore, mine waste, and geologic formations) via a novel pretreatment using a CO2- or biomass-derived organic acid that can dissolve silicates efficiently and liberate metals. The progressive dissolution will be followed by the precipitation of oxalate products, turning the bulky silicate rocks into micron-sized crystal particles and amorphous silica.

Biomason will develop a carbon negative cementitious materials production process that may replace most product classes now served by carbon-intensive traditional cement. Traditional cement (the binder element in concrete) requires carbon-intensive, fossil fuel kilning (1,400°C) of limestone, leading to carbon emissions from the high temperature and CO2 burned off the limestone. Biocementation, or microbial induced calcite precipitation, is a viable technology for manufacturing concrete materials with significantly reduced energy, carbon, and logistical footprints.

The University of Pennsylvania will develop a comprehensive building structure strategy with high-performance, prefabricated, funicular structures for minimized mass and maximized surface area for carbon absorption. The team will use innovative carbon-absorbing, 3D printable concrete as a primary structural material and bio-based carbon-storing materials for the building's envelope and finishes. Additive manufacturing technology will be used in fabrication to reduce waste.

Columbia University will develop an integrated hydrometallurgical-electrochemical mining technology to increase energy-relevant mineral yields from CO2-reactive minerals. The technology incorporates an innovative stirred media mill reactor that minimizes comminution energy and improves leaching efficiencies and a new electrochemical refining processes using functionalized interfaces for selective separation of metals.

SkyNano will create composite panels for the building industry via a multi-scale materials approach combining recycled carbon fibers diverted from landfills, directly utilized CO2 via electro-reduction into solid carbon nanotubes, and biomaterials such as bamboo fibers. The panels will exhibit excellent mechanical and functional properties while maintaining a carbon-negative footprint on a cradle-to-gate and cradle-to-grave basis, exceeding the performance of today’s state-of-the-art panels.

Coupled acid and base formation is a key part of the DAC and DOC cycle regeneration step. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will dramatically reduce acid/base production costs by developing advanced electrodialysis systems to split salt to enable electrochemical sorbent regeneration in contrast to the high-temperature, natural-gas-fired calcination step used today.

The Colorado School of Mines (Mines) will develop a novel technological solution and workflow to enable mining companies to quantitatively model the carbonation potential of entire ore deposits using cutting-edge X-ray fluorescence core scanning technology and advanced machine learning techniques. The project will demonstrate how the carbonation potential of a copper-nickel-platinum group element (Cu-Ni-PGE) deposit can be determined involving block modeling of the amount of CO2 that can be sequestered in situ in an ore body and its surrounding host rocks.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) will advance in-situ and ex-situ techniques to determine the solubility and thermodynamic properties of various sodium rare earth element (REE) carbonates, REE (hydroxy)carbonates, REE phosphate, and REE (oxy)hydroxides in various solutions and pressures and temperature conditions, with or without the presence of carbon dioxide (CO2). The team will use the results to construct a database for optimizing conditions that efficiently recover energy-relevant minerals in red mud waste.

Northeastern University will dramatically accelerate the replacement of carbon-intensive concrete structural components by developing a new structural system comprised of deconstructable and reusable steel frames with cross-laminated timber (CLT) floor diaphragms. Diaphragms are structural elements that transmit lateral loads to the vertical resisting elements. CLT diaphragms can store up to 50% of their weight in biogenic carbon.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) will develop the first integrated, comprehensive suite of methods to deliver a proprietary supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2)-based leaching fluid to mafic-ultramafic ores for in situ enhanced critical mineral (e.g., nickel, copper, and cobalt) recovery and CO2 sequestration. The project will increase the U.S. critical mineral supply chain by using existing horizontal drilling technologies to inject scCO2 to mine low-value mafic-ultramafic ores not typically mined.