Abstract
The general problem of this research is how to produce important materials for modern technology while also protecting people, communities, and the environment. Many clean energy technologies, like electric cars and wind turbines, depend on rare earth elements and other mined resources. However, mining and processing these materials can create serious risks, including pollution, worker health problems, and unsafe conditions. Around the world, there is a challenge to balance the need for these materials with safe, fair, and sustainable practices. This research looks at that problem from both a technical side and a social side.
The technical report that I work on with my teammates focuses on rare earth element extraction at Mountain Pass, California. Rare earth elements are very important for green energy and advanced technology, but they are hard to separate because they have very similar chemical properties. Right now, most of the global supply comes from China, which creates supply risk for the United States. In our project we designed a process to recover both light and heavy rare earth elements from Mountain Pass ore. The process included steps like ore treatment, chemical separation, and purification. The goal is to create a more complete and reliable domestic supply of rare earth elements while improving efficiency and supporting cleaner energy technologies.
