American Rare Earths has partnered with the University of Wyoming to assess the potential byproducts associated with rare earth elements at the Halleck Creek project in Wyoming, U.S.
American Rare Earths, through its subsidiary Wyoming Rare and the University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources, were selected for a Seed Translational Acceleration of Research (STAR) Project award.
The STAR Project awards aim to emphasise applied research innovations across the university that have high potential for commercialisation.
“The intent is to fund projects on a milestone-driven basis with usable outcomes for the industry partner at the end of the project,” according to UW’s Vice President for Research and Economic Development Parag Chitnis.
“These projects will serve as a basis for training graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, while simultaneously advancing tangible research that directly impacts development projects in Wyoming.”
The project team will work with Wyoming Rare to examine the tailings and byproducts resulting from rare earth elements extraction at Halleck Creek.
The team will also explore potential applications for those materials to determine potential technical viability for end-use applications, processing requirements and implications to overall project economics.
The team will work towards a comprehensive database of material properties, an evaluation of the potential use of tailings and byproducts through computational modelling, and small-scale laboratory experiments to validate a selected list of high-potential applications.
The Halleck Creek project is a rare earth deposit with the potential to secure U.S. critical mineral independence.
The Cowboy State mine within Halleck Creek offers cost-efficient open-pit mining methods and benefits from streamlined processes.
Halleck Creek is strategically positioned to reduce U.S. reliance on imports while meeting the growing demand for rare earth elements essential to defence, advanced technologies and economic security.
