Archived
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Location
Lexington, Kentucky
Start Date
6-5-2026 10:30 AM
End Date
6-5-2026 11:00 AM
Description
Germanium (Ge) and gallium (Ga) have been classified as critical minerals by the Department of the Interior due to their unique properties and security risk to the supply chain. Recent restrictions on Ge and Ga imports have exacerbated the need for domestic Ge and Ga from resources such as coal ash, the largest source of industrial waste in the U.S. Understanding the abundance and modes of occurrence of Ge/Ga in a specific fly ash source is essential to evaluate its feasibility as a Ge/Ga resource. Microbeam Technologies, Inc (MTI) is evaluating fly ash resources from coal combustion and gasification systems for use as feedstocks for our pioneering critical material extraction techniques. Beyond traditional chemical analysis, MTI uses a suite of analysis, modeling, and physical testing techniques to determine the behavior and fate of Ge and Ga in energy conversion systems. This approach has allowed us to answer questions such as: - What is the resource potential of a specific coal feedstock(s) for Ge, Ga, and other critical materials? - What are the modes of occurrence of Ge/Ga in the coal feedstock, and how does that impact their resource potential? - Does Ge/Ga resource potential fluctuate over time due to switching fuel sources or variations within a single source? - Can stockpiling and blending operations between the mine and/or plant be optimized to maximize resource potential? Microbeam's expertise with coal chemistry, ash transformations during combustion and gasification, and critical mineral recovery processes uniquely positions us to tackle these questions and more. Ultimately, Ge/Ga recovery from coal fly ash has the potential to convert environmental liabilities into strategic assets that strengthen domestic supply chains and benefit the bottom line.
Document Type
Presentation
Archival?
Archival
Included in
Energy Systems Commons, Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment Commons, Environmental Monitoring Commons, Mining Engineering Commons, Oil, Gas, and Energy Commons, Structural Materials Commons, Sustainability Commons
Germanium and Gallium: Evaluating Their Potential in Coal Ash
Lexington, Kentucky
Germanium (Ge) and gallium (Ga) have been classified as critical minerals by the Department of the Interior due to their unique properties and security risk to the supply chain. Recent restrictions on Ge and Ga imports have exacerbated the need for domestic Ge and Ga from resources such as coal ash, the largest source of industrial waste in the U.S. Understanding the abundance and modes of occurrence of Ge/Ga in a specific fly ash source is essential to evaluate its feasibility as a Ge/Ga resource. Microbeam Technologies, Inc (MTI) is evaluating fly ash resources from coal combustion and gasification systems for use as feedstocks for our pioneering critical material extraction techniques. Beyond traditional chemical analysis, MTI uses a suite of analysis, modeling, and physical testing techniques to determine the behavior and fate of Ge and Ga in energy conversion systems. This approach has allowed us to answer questions such as: - What is the resource potential of a specific coal feedstock(s) for Ge, Ga, and other critical materials? - What are the modes of occurrence of Ge/Ga in the coal feedstock, and how does that impact their resource potential? - Does Ge/Ga resource potential fluctuate over time due to switching fuel sources or variations within a single source? - Can stockpiling and blending operations between the mine and/or plant be optimized to maximize resource potential? Microbeam's expertise with coal chemistry, ash transformations during combustion and gasification, and critical mineral recovery processes uniquely positions us to tackle these questions and more. Ultimately, Ge/Ga recovery from coal fly ash has the potential to convert environmental liabilities into strategic assets that strengthen domestic supply chains and benefit the bottom line.
