Renierite, shown here, is a source of germanium, a critical mineral used in transistors. Photo by U.S. Geological Survey.

The future of cell phones, solar panels and electric vehicles depends on materials like cobalt, germanium and rare earth elements. Those and other critical minerals are the focus of the second annual virtual workshop hosted by Missouri S&T Aug. 4-5. The workshop is part Missouri S&T’s critical-minerals workshop series funded by the National Science Foundation. It features U.S. and international experts on subjects including mineral deposits, critical mineral sustainability, public policy, and processing and recycling.

“Rising gas prices highlight the need for renewable energy technologies, which rely heavily on critical minerals such as cobalt for electric car batteries, tellurium for solar panels, and rare earth elements required for magnets in turbines that harvest wind energy,” says Dr. Marek Locmelis, assistant professor of geosciences and geological and petroleum engineering at Missouri S&T. “To meet the increasing demand for critical minerals and other technological advances that will benefit society, we will have to increase critical mineral supply significantly over the next decade.”

Locmelis, the workshop organizer, says goals can be reached through better exploration models and improved recovery from existing production and recycling. He says the workshop will address the challenges and bring together people from different parts of the supply chain to discuss the best ways forward. 

Four keynote presenters will share their thoughts during the workshop:

In addition, 12 invited speakers will bring a wealth of expertise related to critical minerals:

Presentations will address several topics, including workforce development, global supply chains, domestic mineral exploration, sourcing and production, governance, and sustainability. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and further discuss the topics with the speakers.

In addition to Locmelis, workshop organizers include Dr. Lana Alagha, associate professor of mining engineering; Dr. Kwame Awuah-Offei, chair of mining and explosives engineering; Dr. Mark Fitch, assistant chair and associate professor of civil, environmental and architectural engineering; Dr. Alanna Krolikowski, assistant professor of history and political science; Dr. Michael Moats, professor and interim chair of materials science and engineering at Missouri S&T; Dr. Angela Lueking, vice chancellor for research and dean of the graduate school at Montana Technological University; and Shelby Clark, a graduate student in geology and geophysics at Missouri S&T. The workshop is hosted by Missouri S&T’s  Energetic Materials, Rock Characterization and Geomechanics Research Center.

The workshop is free and open to anyone who is interested in critical minerals. For more information or to register, visit criticalminerals.mst.edu.

About Missouri University of Science and Technology

Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is a STEM-focused research university of over 7,200 students. Part of the four-campus University of Missouri System and located in Rolla, Missouri, Missouri S&T offers 101 degrees in 40 areas of study and is among the nation’s top 10 universities for return on investment, according to Business Insider. S&T also is home to the Kummer Institute, made possible by a $300 million gift from Fred and June Kummer. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit www.mst.edu.

On June 21, 2022. Posted in Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering and Computing, Department of History and Political Science, Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, mining and explosives engineering, Missouri S&T, Missouri University of Science and Technology, News, University News

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