Archived
This content is available here strictly for research, reference, and/or recordkeeping and as such it may not be fully accessible. If you work or study at University of Kentucky and would like to request an accessible version, please use the SensusAccess Document Converter.
Location
Lexington, Kentucky
Start Date
6-5-2026 8:30 AM
End Date
6-5-2026 9:00 AM
Description
This presentation highlights a promising early-stage pathway for transforming coal fly ash from a long-term liability into a source of both critical minerals and construction materials. The speaker describes a recyclable ionic-liquid process that, at bench scale, demonstrates selective recovery of rare earth elements (REEs) from a wide range of U.S. fly ashes under mild conditions while preserving the treated solids for potential use as supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs). Attendees gain insight into why this chemistry is attracting attention: it avoids full acid digestion, shows strong preference for REEs over bulk metals, and enables repeated solvent reuse in a closed loop, suggesting a lower-waste alternative to conventional extraction routes. The presentation emphasizes especially encouraging findings for legacy ponded ash, where weathering appears to enhance REE accessibility and open new options for material previously considered unsuitable for beneficial use. In addition to sharing new technology updates, the talk will share the most important next steps for continued development- continued scale-up, SCM qualification pathways, and integration opportunities with existing ash-processing infrastructure. For utilities, ash processors, concrete producers, and researchers, the session offers a forward-looking view of how these technical advances align ash remediation, domestic critical-minerals supply, and low-carbon high-performance concrete goals and identifying exciting opportunities under the evolving domestic critical minerals supply chain.
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
Harvesting Rare Earths from Coal Ash using an Ionic Liquid
Lexington, Kentucky
This presentation highlights a promising early-stage pathway for transforming coal fly ash from a long-term liability into a source of both critical minerals and construction materials. The speaker describes a recyclable ionic-liquid process that, at bench scale, demonstrates selective recovery of rare earth elements (REEs) from a wide range of U.S. fly ashes under mild conditions while preserving the treated solids for potential use as supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs). Attendees gain insight into why this chemistry is attracting attention: it avoids full acid digestion, shows strong preference for REEs over bulk metals, and enables repeated solvent reuse in a closed loop, suggesting a lower-waste alternative to conventional extraction routes. The presentation emphasizes especially encouraging findings for legacy ponded ash, where weathering appears to enhance REE accessibility and open new options for material previously considered unsuitable for beneficial use. In addition to sharing new technology updates, the talk will share the most important next steps for continued development- continued scale-up, SCM qualification pathways, and integration opportunities with existing ash-processing infrastructure. For utilities, ash processors, concrete producers, and researchers, the session offers a forward-looking view of how these technical advances align ash remediation, domestic critical-minerals supply, and low-carbon high-performance concrete goals and identifying exciting opportunities under the evolving domestic critical minerals supply chain.
