NSF Convergence Accelerator Track I: Accelerating Use of Geologically-driven Engineering and Reclamation (AUGER), A Predictive Approach to a Sustainable Critical Minerals Industry

In order to meet the metal and mineral resource requirements for a low-carbon and renewables-led future, fulfill infrastructure needs, and lift communities out of poverty, a true paradigm shift in the US mineral resources sector is needed. This project provides an opportunity to merge fundamental materials sciences to better inform engineering and practices for a more sustainable US mineral industry.

It brings together an interdisciplinary and diverse team of scientists and engineers working on unconventional mineral resources such as mine waste and tailings, at scales ranging from the micron to kilometer scale, in order to address the national need for critical minerals. The project uses the information from the nature of the materials themselves, the compositions of ore deposits as well as mine waste materials, to predict how extraction of critical minerals can be made more effective for a better domestic supply.

It combines measurement methods and engineering approaches into a sustainable mining toolkit and delivers community-based workshops to inform society of the potential for a sustainable mineral resources industry. The goal is to fundamentally change the way mineral extraction is informed and designed by becoming more adaptive to the nature of the materials themselves, and to uncover new critical mineral resources while cleaning up sites and reducing risks.

The project will also contribute to a more diverse, interdisciplinary and creative workforce for the future.

This project brings together experts in geology, mining, and materials characterization from the microscale to the macroscale, with industrial partners in mineral extraction and tailings reuse, next-generation building materials, and entrepreneurship. This diverse team recognizes that most of the data generated in a minerals project is underutilized, and so the team aims to advance project knowledge by linking early-stage characterization to the prediction of impacts, critical minerals discovery, the mineral extraction value chain, and the sustainable end-use of byproducts.

The AUGER project has three objectives: 1) Improve fundamental materials science characterization capabilities by developing a new multi-modal mineral mapping tool, 2) inform new and adaptive engineering strategies in ore and waste management by integrating microscale and remote sensing datasets into geometallurgical models that drive predictive insights, and 3) catalyze a paradigm shift for stakeholders in industry, communities, and the general public through workshops, a resource toolkit, and outreach to diverse groups for a diverse, interdisciplinary, innovative and transformative minerals industry of the future. Objective 1 develops a novel approach to microscale-resolution, large-area mineral characterization with minimal sample preparation by integrating x-ray fluorescence and hyperspectral reflectance probes, while objective 2 incorporates new microscale data along with hyperspectral remote imaging by drone and satellite and integrates these data for an industry-community tool.

These objectives will enable prediction of potential negative impacts and also of potential new critical mineral resource value through early, basic understanding of the materials. The AUGER project also will advance collaboration and education by engaging industry partners, the public, and local site stakeholders in advance of mineral resource site development.

Increased knowledge of materials characteristics enhances the opportunities for society to optimize the potential value inherent in ores. Shifting the plan for waste management to the very beginning of site exploration enables earlier identification of potentially overlooked key critical mineral sources in waste, promotes sustainable re-mining of waste, and engages end-users for bulk byproducts in sustainable industries such as next-generation building materials or agricultural soil amendments and CO2 sequestration.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.