The SCORE Consortium is a group of U.S. businesses involved in the domestic extraction of critical minerals and the development of supply chains for them, especially minerals needed for the defense industry. The first ‘end-to-end’ project involves recovering the mineral scandium. They are focused on advanced solvent-free mineral extraction from coal and industrial wastes, and e-waste. The U.S. is currently 100% reliant on imports for scandium.
According to Anactisis:
“Scandium, a rare earth element, significantly enhances
the strength, durability, and corrosion resistance of aluminum alloys. It is
the secret ingredient that enables next-generation technologies in energy,
transportation, defense, aerospace, and advanced manufacturing where
high-performance materials are crucial.”
Scandium is vital for
aerospace alloys, advanced manufacturing, additive manufacturing (3D printing)
technologies, and solid oxide fuel cells.
SCORE is depicted as a
commercialization accelerator for domestic critical elements. They are
initially focusing on a five-state region: Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, West
Virginia, and Pennsylvania.
“This 5-state region represents one third (33%) of
foundry products and nearly one fourth (23%)of aluminum production nationally,
key to minerals supply chain processes including recovery, refining, smelting,
alloying, wire forming, additive powder and equipment production, as well as
R&D, testing, and material standards for end users in automotive,
aerospace, space, energy, and defense applications.”
Scandium has been produced in
Ukraine, Russia, and China. According to Wikipedia:
“Scandium is present in most of the deposits of
rare-earth and uranium compounds, but it is extracted from these ores in only a
few mines worldwide. Because of the low availability and difficulties in the
preparation of metallic scandium, which was first done in 1937, applications
for scandium were not developed until the 1970s, when the positive effects of
scandium on aluminium alloys were discovered. Its use in such alloys remains
its only major application. The global trade of scandium oxide is 15–20 tonnes
per year.”
“The properties of scandium compounds are intermediate
between those of aluminium and yttrium. A diagonal relationship exists between
the behavior of magnesium and scandium, just as there is between beryllium and
aluminium. In the chemical compounds of the elements in group 3, the
predominant oxidation state is +3.”
SCORE is involved in a coal
waste mineral extraction project in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania. being
developed by Firepoint Energy. They are involved in the extraction of gallium
from coal waste in Ohio. Current demonstration projects are expected to be
commercialized within a few years
“A SCORE analysis that looked at 61 major coal ash sites
in Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania estimated $29-$38 billion in critical
minerals and $14 billion in rare earth elements. Over 30 years, they estimate
more than 25,000 direct jobs and another 124,000 total jobs when accounting for
manufacturing and transportation.”
A major co-benefit of
minerals extraction from coal waste, including mine tailings, gob piles, coal
ash, and acid mine drainage, is that the waste is treated by removing minerals,
which will improve local water quality.
References:
A $40B
critical mineral supply chain could start in Pennsylvania. Anthony Hennen. The
Center Square. July 19, 2024. A $40B critical mineral supply chain
could start in Pennsylvania (msn.com)
Supply
Chains of Recovered Elements. SCORE
Consortium
Firepoint
Energy Selects Jefferson County Site For Waste Coal-To-Fuel Conversion, Rare
Earth Element Recovery Production Site. PA Environment Digest Blog. July 5,
2024. PA Environment Digest Blog: Firepoint
Energy Selects Jefferson County Site For Waste Coal-To-Fuel Conversion, Rare
Earth Element Recovery Production Site (paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com)
Anactisis
revolutionizes the recovery of critical minerals to empower the global economy.
Anactisis. Home - Anactisis
Scandium.
Wikipedia. Scandium -
Wikipedia
Scandium
Introduction: Structure, Classification, and Characteristics. Scandium.org. Scandium
Introduction: Atomic Structure, Classification, and Extraordinary
Characteristics
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