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| | The 3P Initiative | JOHN H PRUITT | Founder and CEO |
Small Business
|
Resource Sustainability
| Development of Mining Technology Proving Grounds | The 3P Initiative, LLC is a Minority-Owned Small Business (SEDI) based in Huntington, WV, specializing in safety culture quantification and workforce validation. We provide the Community Impact Score™ (CIS), a proprietary predictive auditing protocol that measures "Safety Culture" and "Community Trust" in high-risk industrial environments.
Capabilities for the Proving Ground:
Safety Validation: We offer third-party validation of workforce training and safety protocols using our "Ground Truth" data collection method, ensuring the Proving Ground meets the highest standards of operational safety (TRL 6 validation).
Community Benefits Plan (CBP) Partner: As a local SEDI firm, partnering with us directly strengthens the Prime Applicant’s CBP score. We facilitate community engagement and verify that local workforce development targets are met.
Data Analytics: Our algorithm converts subjective workforce sentiment into objective risk metrics, providing the Proving Ground with leading indicators of safety performance.
We are seeking a Prime Applicant (University or Industry Lead) to integrate our CIS Protocol as a safety and community validation tool within the Proving Ground. |
| WV |
| | Binghamton University | Hyuna Kwon | Assistant Professor |
Academic
|
University Training and Research
| | Academic partner (Binghamton University, SUNY) offering AI/digital twin and optimization support for DE-FOA-0003390 proving-ground field tests. We help de-risk Mine Technology projects (processing/automation/energy/waste management) by integrating site data into predictive monitoring, setting Go/No-Go criteria, and optimizing operations under variable conditions to accelerate TRL advancement. |
| NY |
| | Vital X LLC | Jerry Salyers | Founder/ Mineral owner |
Small Business
|
Carbon Management
| PROVING GROUND | Teaming Partners – Background, Interests, and Capabilities
**1. Vital X LLC**
**Background:** Vital X LLC is a West Virginia-based mineral development and advanced energy solutions company with extensive experience in metallurgical coal production and rare earth element (REE) extraction. The company’s operations focus on sustainable, high-value utilization of Appalachian coal and REE resources while addressing legacy environmental impacts on former mining lands.
**Interests:** Vital X is committed to advancing domestic critical mineral production, supporting energy independence, and enabling technologies for national security applications. The company seeks to integrate AI-driven resource exploration, environmental remediation, and renewable energy solutions into its mining operations.
**Capabilities:**
* Proprietary REE-bearing clay exploration under Eagle, Bens Creek, and Lower War Eagle seams.
* Advanced metallurgical coal production, including high-grade coking coal for steelmaking.
* Expertise in phased remediation of abandoned mine lands (AMLs) to simultaneously recover REEs and improve water quality.
* Infrastructure: two railroad sidetracks, high-power transmission line, and elevation suitable for hydroelectric storage.
* Integration of geothermal-cooled data centers for AI operations and cryptocurrency mining, demonstrating multi-use, high-value industrial land utilization.
**2. Appalachian Critical Minerals Institute (ACMI)**
**Background:** ACMI is a non-profit research and development organization focused on advancing domestic critical minerals production. ACMI leverages university partnerships, federal funding programs, and private sector collaboration to develop scalable REE extraction and processing technologies.
**Interests:** ACMI is dedicated to accelerating critical minerals innovation to support national defense, energy security, and advanced manufacturing in the U.S. Appalachian region.
**Capabilities:**
* Management and execution of DOE, DOD, and ARPA-E funded projects.
* Technical expertise in REE separation, metallurgical process optimization, and environmental compliance.
* Grant writing, project manage |
| WV |
| | HyperSciences, inc (dba General Hypersonics) | Mark Russell | Founder, CTO & CEO |
Small Business
|
Other
| Autonomous Robotic High-speed Mining, Tunnel Boring and Drilling and operates test mines. | HyperSciences is addressing mine of the future needs to create pre-production mine development tunnels as well as explore and extract minerals 10X faster and more efficiently than traditional discrete operations, replacing drill and blast and rotary systems that slowly grind the rock.
HyperSciences has developed a novel method of high speed rock breaking and developed and operated underground and surface test mines to demonstrate new hyper-impact boring technology from 100mm diameter holes to 3-10+ m tunnels. This is an extension of DARPA "Project REAM" using multiple HyperCore barrels launching every few seconds low-cost concrete or iron kinetic rock breaking "impactors" at Mach 3-4 into rock providing 10X faster boring in hard rock, literally digitally mining, tunneling and drilling.
We seek partners in systems integration, AI/robotics, vision systems, systems engineering and geophysics, we also have UG and Surface mines for partners to test their tech as well as we seek large-scale mines to demonstrate in as well. Contact us. |
| TX |
| | Torres Orbital Mining Inc | Luis Torres | CEO |
Small Business
|
Other
| Autonomous Mining, Robotics, Advanced Drilling, and Real-Time Ore Sensing | orres Orbital Mining Inc (TOM) develops autonomous, modular mining robotics and advanced drilling systems designed for high-risk, low-access environments such as tailings, waste rock, and early-stage ore bodies. Our technologies directly align with the Mine of the Future initiative by enabling safer, more precise, and lower-impact mineral extraction, characterization, and field-scale experimentation.
TOM’s core platform is a rover-based autonomous excavation system equipped with a dust-preventative vertical drilling and sampling cylinder capable of extracting controlled volumes of material while minimizing airborne particulate emissions. This system supports improved worker safety, reduces site disturbance, and enhances selective recovery—key objectives identified in the NOI. Our units integrate real-time sensing, embedded computing (Jetson-based edge AI), inertial navigation, and multi-sensor geometallurgical characterization to support data-rich exploration, tailings mapping, and material flow monitoring.
TOM also develops modular, reconfigurable hardware architectures suited for proving-ground environments where rapid iteration, integration with partner technologies, and field-scale testing are required. Our systems are designed to operate autonomously or semi-autonomously, making them suitable for hazardous or unstable substrates such as tailings storage facilities, legacy mine sites, or low-grade ore bodies.
We are interested in partnering with mining companies, universities, and national laboratories to contribute autonomous mining front-end systems, advanced drilling with real-time sensing, robotics for reduced manual labor, and AI/ML tools for resource mapping. TOM aims to provide signature technology contributions that accelerate TRL 3–6 development, support selective recovery methods, and expand the data and sensing infrastructure needed for future domestic critical minerals production. |
| TX |
| | Caltech | David A. Boyd | Senior Research Scientist |
Academic
|
University Training and Research
| Cold Plasma Technology for On-Site Beneficiation and Tailings Reprocessing to Reduce Water and Chemical Use | Our cold plasma technology is at proof-of-concept stage, demonstrated on copper foil and gold-plated connectors. We aim to explore its application for mine-site beneficiation and tailings reprocessing, focusing on water and reagent reduction.
We seek partners operating proving grounds to test plasma pre-conditioning of ores and tailings, quantify recovery improvements, and assess integration with existing circuits.
Strong IP position: Our intellectual property portfolio covers plasma reactor design and process chemistry, enabling secure technology transfer and commercialization.
We are open to field pilots within 6–12 months. |
| CA |
| | Arizona State University | Binil Starly | Motorola Professor of Manufacturing Systems |
Academic
|
University Training and Research
| | Arizona State University (ASU) offers engineering and research infrastructure that directly supports the requirement to establish a field-scale mining technology proving ground. Core capabilities include modular testbed design, systems engineering, and readiness level advancement plans for technologies progressing from proof of concept to validation. Compliance and planning support covers infrastructure planning, utility integration, data systems, and safety engineering aligned with federal requirements. Digital systems expertise includes digital twin development, monitoring platforms, and artificial intelligence-enabled data acquisition systems supporting real-time sensing and performance validation. The institution supports proving-ground planning, site-readiness analysis, operational protocols, and standardized testing frameworks.
Technical strengths for mine technology projects include resource characterization using advanced mineral characterization, spectroscopy, geochemistry, and tailings analysis. Sensing capabilities cover subsurface detection technologies, real-time drilling and ore mapping, and classification systems. Mining and processing technology expertise includes novel comminution, rock-mechanics modeling, in-situ extraction concepts, selective recovery, and waste minimization research. Experience with automation, robotics, and remote operations for hazardous environments supports modular and mobile beneficiation systems.
Equipment and productivity capabilities encompass robotics, drones, autonomous haulage, sensor-fusion systems, and control-system integration. Internet of Things platforms are developed for material tracking and predictive maintenance. Infrastructure assets include industrial-scale pilot space for materials handling, advanced robotics and sensor labs, and high-performance computing for modeling and optimization. Subject matter expertise covers mineral thermodynamics, critical-material behavior, systems engineering, materials characterization, geomaterials, and water treatment. |
| AZ |
| | Eva Garland Consulting | Dr. Eva Garland | CEO |
Small Business
|
Other
| | Eva Garland Consulting (EGC) was established by Dr. Eva Garland in 2013 with a mission to advance science. Over the past decade, EGC has emerged as a global leader in securing non-dilutive funding and providing comprehensive accounting, compliance, tax, and advisory services.
EGC has successfully assisted clients in securing and managing hundreds of grants and contracts, including large DOE awards, totaling over $2 billion. EGC’s 3,000+ clients, spanning 50 states and 5 continents, include universities, startups, large companies, and government agencies. EGC is proud to have supported our clients in progressing technologies from concept to commercialization, contributing new tools to tackle some of the world’s most pressing challenges.
Built on our principle of Excellence, EGC adopts a tailored and thorough strategy to assist every client in achieving their fundraising objectives.
Through our Proposal Support Services, clients collaborate directly with EGC’s Scientific Grants Experts, all of whom hold Ph.D.s and have deep experience securing funding from numerous government agencies and private foundations. Our services include:
• Writing and submitting proposals
• Support with registrations and budget preparation
• Critical scientific review and editing
• Strategies to increase the competitiveness of the grant applications
Our Experts also craft Strategic Non-Dilutive Funding Plans to meet the specific needs of each of our clients, which include:
• Identification and prioritization of non-dilutive funding opportunities
• Gantt chart of proposal preparation, submission, and funding timelines
• Resources required to support grant submissions
• Strategies to increase the competitiveness of grant submissions
Our team’s expertise spans over 100 federal and state agencies and private foundations, which collectively provide over $1 trillion in funding opportunities each year. |
| NC |
| | Caladan Robotics | Andy Diepen | CEO |
Small Business
|
Other
| Unmanned Platform Development | Caladan Robotics is a small business focused on ground based robotics technology in high risk areas. Caladan Robotics is currently conducting research into Beyond Line of Sight Tele-operated Ground Robotic Platforms that will allow trained operators to operate machinery from anywhere in the world through the integration of multiple communication links and advanced control architectures. We believe in the value of advanced technology to improve the lives of operators, not to replace them - and the most critical advancement in mining will come through human machine teaming.
Our core capabilities:
- Command and Control Architectures
- Beyond line of site communications
- Unmanned Ground Systems
- Unmanned systems safety
- Autonomy
- System of Systems integration
- Advanced Sensing
- Data processing
- Engineering |
| MI |
| | Precient Technologies, LLC | Bradley Lusk | Managing Board Member and Technical Liaison |
Small Business
|
Resource Sustainability
| Microbiological removal and recovery of critical minerals | Precient Technologies is the commercialization arm for the hydrogen-based membrane biofilm reactor (H2-MBfR), which is able to recover most of the critical minerals: e.g., Platinum-group metals, gold, rare-earth elements, copper, lithium, selenium, uranium, and more. The H2-MBfR does produces and recovers the critical minerals an highly valuable nano-particles, and it does so without the use of toxic chemical, high temperature, or other extreme conditions. It achieves these goals by using microbial catalysis that is self-sustaining. The H2-MBfR has been demonstrated with actual contaminated groundwaters, ore-refining wastewater, and flue-gas desulfurization wastewater. It also works for bioleaching water, mine-tailings wastewater, and impounded water from abandoned mines.
Precient Technologies can set up and conduct laboratory and field-pilot studies of the H2-MBfR to complement a partner's technology needs. It also can include techno-economic analysis and life-cycle analysis of the H2-MBfR in the context of the partner's overall system. |
| AZ |
| | Arizona State University | Bruce E. Rittmann | Regents Professor |
Academic
|
Resource Sustainability
| Microbiological Recovery of Critical Minerals | Dr. Rittmann's team has developed the hydrogen-based membrane biofilm reactor (H2-MBfR), which is able to recover most of the critical minerals: e.g., Platinum-group metals, gold, rare-earth elements, copper, lithium, selenium, uranium, and more. The H2-MBfR does produces and recovers the critical minerals an highly valuable nano-particles, and it does so without the use of toxic chemical, high temperature, or other extreme conditions. It achieves these goals by using microbial catalysis that is self-sustaining. The H2-MBfR has been demonstrated with actual contaminated groundwaters, ore-refining wastewater, and flue-gas desulfurization wastewater. It also works for bioleaching water, mine-tailings wastewater, and impounded water from abandoned mines.
Dr. Rittmann's team can conduct bench-scale testing, mathematical modeling, techno-economic analysis, and reactor design that complement field studies and allied technologies. |
| AZ |
| | Rowow LLC | Robert Karas | Owner |
Small Business
|
Other
| Ion Exchange Electrolysis Leaching | Rowow LLC develops open source technology and currently focused on the utilization of ion exchange membranes electrolysis with mining and refining. Our novel ion exchange membranes are a fraction of the cost while being superior in chemical resistance and conductivity to other commercially available membranes.
Our novel process utilizes an ion exchange membrane to create an ionic voltage potential over the cathode and anode side of the electrolysis cell. This potential creates various reactions, primarily on the anode side to produce oxidizing acidic leaching conditions which are capable of dissolving noble metals such as Rhodium, Iridium, and gold. This leached solution is pumped into the anode chamber to plate off and collect the heavy metals dissolved with recovery yields of over 99%. This depleted solution finally flows back into the cathode chamber to repeat the cycle. The impact results in processing toxic heavy metal ore or mining waste, into a concentrate powder for further refining, while outputting clean crushed rocks safer and more biologically beneficial for agricultural needs.
This technology would be capable of extracting almost all the precious metals and critical minerals from ore, mining tailings, waste, and other hazardous materials. Additional steps utilizing the same ion exchange membrane technology can be employed for final separation and refinement of concentrated mixed metal powders and bars. The long term goal is to implement a single step mining process that supplies the US critical mineral demand, mostly from existing mining waste, in the most efficient process commercially available with a competitive advantage against global standard practices. All while producing little to no waste in a completely closed loop process. |
Website: rowow.net
Email: irowow@gmail.com
Phone: 4077248687
Address: 8601 Deer Run Drive, Lake Wales, FL, 33898, United States
| FL |
| | University of Virginia | Mool C. Gupta | Professor |
Academic
|
Resource Sustainability
| | Prof. Gupta is a distinguished Langley Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia. His technical interest is in the area of high-power laser applications and optical devices. Recently, he has demonstrated recovery of silver from solar cell waste and gold from electronic waste. His experience is directly applicable to the recovery of critical materials and minerals and their sensitive detection using portable optical spectroscopy method. He led a student team to investigate the use of mechanical drill combined with laser for drilling and detection. He has carried out projects for DOE, NASA, DOD, NSF and industry. He is looking for a collaboration opportunity. |
| VA |
| | Francis Enterprises Inc | Howard Andrew Mearns | Head of Engineering |
Small Business
|
Other
| Autonomous Shuttle Car | Francis Enterprises is developing an autonomous shuttle car. We have a test bed with most of the key hardware required for success. The car is remote controlled and has hardware and software for autonomous operation. We have a small test area with miners and a feeder. Software development is ongoing. We would like to partner with a proving ground to speed up our development, obtain certifications and approvals for the car's hardware, and improve the quality of our product. |
| WV |
| | Sears Engineering | Morgan Sears | President |
Individual
|
Other
| | Sears Engineering is a specialized mining and ground control consulting practice focused on geomechanics, pillar design, subsidence evaluation, and applied engineering support for coal and coal associated operations. The firm is led by Dr. Morgan M. Sears, PhD, PE, one of the most experienced LaModel users in the United States and a long time practitioner in coal mine geotechnical analysis. The company provides advanced numerical modeling, field informed interpretation, and practical engineering guidance for industry, research partners, and government supported projects.
Core services include pillar stability assessment, gate road layout support, stress mapping, subsidence prediction, and evaluation of complex multiple seam interactions. Sears Engineering also provides integration of mine data with numerical models, using a validation mindset grounded in field measurements and operational knowledge. The firm supports both planning level analyses and detailed evaluations for challenging ground conditions in Central Appalachia and beyond.
Sears Engineering has strong experience working with real mine geometries, operational constraints, and the technical details that influence the success of underground and surface extraction systems. The company assists partners in identifying geotechnical risks, understanding the behavior of overburden and mined strata, and improving decision making for safety and production efficiency.
The firm is well suited for projects that require geotechnical modeling, mining system evaluation, risk assessment, and integration of field measurements with predictive tools. Sears Engineering seeks collaborators who need expertise in coal mine ground control, numerical modeling, entry behavior, stress analysis, and related aspects of mine design and performance. |
| WV |
| | Power Environmental Energy Research Institute | John Ma | Grant Manager |
Non-Profit
|
Resource Sustainability
| | The patented Nanobubble-Enhanced In-Situ Recovery (NB-ISR) method unlocks a new way to extract copper from deep sulfide ores—cleaner, faster, and without the crippling clogging that limits today’s ISR. In current operations, oxidizing fluids quickly lose effectiveness as iron precipitates into Fe(OH)₃ and jarosite, plugging flow paths and shutting down copper dissolution.
NB-ISR changes the game. Nanobubbles act as ultra-stable oxygen carriers that continuously regenerate oxidizing conditions even at low iron levels. Their charged surfaces create tiny acidic micro-zones that suppress iron precipitation, while their micro-mixing action disrupts early solids before they can form blockages.
The result: a more open flow network, higher copper recovery, and a far more efficient chemistry system—advancing the DOE’s vision for the next-generation “Mine of the Future.” |
| CA |
| | Bluefield State University | Morgan Sears | Director of Mining Engineering Technology |
Academic
|
Other
| | Dr. Morgan M. Sears is an Assistant Professor and Director of the Mining Engineering Technology program at Bluefield State University. His background is in coal mine ground control, geomechanics, and applied mining engineering, with a focus on real world problem solving and improving safety and reliability in underground and surface operations. At BSU he is rebuilding the mining program with an emphasis on practical engineering skills, strong industry engagement, and workforce development tailored to Central Appalachia.
Before joining BSU, Dr. Sears spent more than a decade as a researcher at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. His work included pillar stability, high stress mining environments, entry behavior, and geotechnical hazard evaluation. He has extensive experience with mine mapping, numerical modeling, structural interpretation, and the analysis of mining induced stress. This background supports DOE projects that require an understanding of mine systems, geology, operational constraints, and the realities of implementing new technologies at active mining sites.
Dr. Sears brings university capabilities in mining engineering education, student research, curriculum development, and applied analysis using real operational data. BSU has strong connections with regional operators and is well positioned for projects that involve mining integration, field access, data collection, workforce training, and collaboration with industry partners. Dr. Sears contributes practical engineering judgment and familiarity with how extraction environments behave, which helps align technical development with real operating conditions.
BSU seeks partners in chemical processing, materials separation, hydrometallurgy, and commercialization who can complement the university’s strengths in mining systems, field knowledge, regional engagement, and workforce development. |
| WV |
| | Itasca Consulting Group | Miguel Fuenzalida | Principal Mining and Geomechanics Engineer |
Small Business
|
Other
| | Itasca Consulting Group,Inc.(Itasca) is a globally recognized leader in applied geomechanics, hydrogeology, microseismic analysis, and advanced computational modeling. Founded in 1981 by faculty from the University of Minnesota, Itasca pioneered computational geomechanics and developed the world’s first commercially available numerical modeling codes for rock mechanics and discrete element analysis. Itasca continues to advance state-of-the-art simulation through its industry-leading software suite, including continuum, discrete-element, particle-flow, lattice, and multiphysics solvers. These tools enable rigorous modeling of complex subsurface conditions, including rock and soil deformation, excavation and pillar stability, hydrologic and hydro-mechanical coupling, fractured-rock flow, induced seismicity, and large-scale dynamic or thermal–mechanical processes. Itasca’s multidisciplinary team of engineers and scientists supports clients across mining, civil infrastructure, energy, environmental remediation, and underground storage. Our consulting services include geotechnical design and analysis, reservoir geomechanics, microseismic interpretation, mine-planning support, tailings and waste-storage evaluation, slope and underground stability assessments, groundwater and contaminant-transport modeling, and risk and performance forecasting for complex geologic systems. Solutions routinely integrate field data, laboratory testing, and high-fidelity numerical simulations to provide actionable engineering guidance.
Itasca’s interests align strongly with NETL and DOE priorities. We have extensive experience in projects involving critical-mineral recovery, unconventional resource development, geothermal systems, carbon-management and subsurface storage, mine-closure planning, and environmental and community-risk mitigation. Our software and consulting capabilities are well suited for assessing geomechanical performance of underground facilities, evaluating multi-physics processes relevant to resource extraction, characterizing fractured-rock flow and reactive transport, and supporting the safe and efficient development of domestic mineral and energy resources.
Backed by more than 40 years of innovation, global offices, and a robust scientific development program, Itasca brings a unique combination of advanced modeling technology, deep geomechanics expertise, and practical engineering experience, positioning us as a strong and capable partner for DOE/NETL-funded. |
| MN |
| | TerraSpace | Victor Bautista | CTO |
Small Business
|
Other
| | TerraSpace develops real-time mineral and elemental characterization for target deposits, allowing a full-spectrum analysis of samples. Our platform fuses multi-sensor data (RGB+hyperspectral, LIBS, PFTNA, magnetic susceptibility, and geologic input) into physics-informed ML that quantifies mineralogy, texture, and grade in core sheds and the field. We build portable scanning systems and data pipelines that turn raw streams into georeferenced 3D data cubes and borehole-constrained models for GIS/ParaView and decisions.
Interest: We seek to team on DOE efforts advancing characterization of critical mineral and multi-element deposits—including, but not limited to, rare earth elements (REEs), battery metals, strategic base metals, and the wider range of minerals and elements. This includes rapid screening, improved host-mineral ID (e.g., monazite, xenotime, bastnäsite, clay-hosted REE, sulfides, oxides, clays), and quantitative mapping of elemental distributions (major, minor, and trace). We aim to develop open spectral/elemental libraries cross-calibrated to lab assays, and to demonstrate field workflows that shorten sample-to-decision cycles across a range of deposit types.
Capabilities:
Sensor fusion/modeling: Supervised & unsupervised learning, transfer learning, and domain adaptation for LIBS+hyperspectral; uncertainty quantification and QA/QC versus standards.
Critical mineral & multi-element analytics: Feature engineering for key commodities and proxies (REEs, Li, Ni, Co, Cu, PGE, pathfinders); host-mineral classification; alteration/gangue discrimination for vectoring, geometallurgical domains, and prospectivity.
Core/outcrop scanning: High-throughput line and point scanning; auto-registration to borehole geometry (azimuth/dip/length) and integration with geophysics and geochemistry.
Data engineering: Secure ingestion, versioned data lakes, assay reconciliation, and APIs delivering gridded volumes, grade shells, prospectivity scores, and reproducible notebooks.
Hardware/integration: Ruggedized enclosures, power management, operator-safe procedures; interfaces to commercial LIBS/PFTNA/hyperspectral units.
Collaboration: Partnerships with universities and industry; open to joint field campaigns, method development, and tech transfer with national labs and OEMs. |
| TX |
| | Yieldara | Marilyn Jackson | Principal Researcher |
Small Business
|
Other
| New methods and materials | Yieldara is a materials-innovation and critical-minerals systems company focused on expanding the domestic availability of essential elements through modern resource streams that complement the work of the mining community. Our mission centers on strengthening U.S. mineral independence by developing technologies and workflows that address portions of the national supply chain that traditional extraction approaches do not typically reach. Rather than operating in the same domain as subsurface exploration or orebody characterization, Yieldara works alongside these efforts by opening new, previously underutilized pathways for mineral access and recovery.
Our team concentrates on advanced methods for preparing, stabilizing, and upgrading diverse material inputs so they can be reliably delivered into refining, separation, and manufacturing environments. This includes developing clean, efficient, and scalable processes designed to reduce environmental burden while improving the quality and consistency of intermediate materials. While the specific technologies we use are proprietary, our work is built around principles of safety, efficiency, and transparency in support of a more resilient national minerals infrastructure.
Yieldara’s role within the Mining of the Future landscape is collaborative and complementary. We are not replicating or competing with underground mining, advanced drilling, sensing, or ore-processing technologies. Instead, we address a set of material flows that run parallel to conventional extraction and that, when integrated into the broader system, expand the total volume of domestically available critical minerals. By bridging these alternative resource pathways with existing and emerging refinement and manufacturing capabilities, we help diversify supply, reduce strategic risk, and support national decarbonization goals.
We welcome dialogue with organizations working anywhere across the mining and materials continuum, particularly groups exploring new extraction modalities, refining innovations, separation science, and advanced manufacturing. Our interest is in identifying interfaces where our work can complement and enhance ongoing developments. Yieldara aims to be a quiet but constructive contributor to the DOE community—filling gaps, strengthening resilience, and working in service of a shared objective: securing America’s mineral future in a way that is sustainable, innovative, and forward-looking. |
| GA |
| | University of Arkansas at Little Rock | Bari Hanafi | Professor of Geology |
Academic
|
University Training and Research
| | I am an Assistant Professor of Geology and PI of the Little Rock Geodynamics Lab at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. My research focuses on structural geology, tectonics, and subsurface characterization, integrating seismic-reflection interpretation, geophysical data analysis, fracture mechanics, and scaled experimental modeling. I have academic and industry experience, including five years as an exploration and operations geologist with ExxonMobil Indonesia, where I worked on subsurface deformation, reservoir characterization, and structural controls on fluid flow.
My lab combines 3-D seismic interpretation (SLB Petrel), analog modeling of fault-fold systems, and field-based structural analysis to investigate rock deformation, fracture network evolution, and geologic controls on fluid pathways. Current projects include oblique-shortening experiments with internal 3-D imaging; fracture characterization of Paleozoic siliciclastic units in Arkansas; and structural controls on resource systems in rift, transform, and convergent settings.
I am particularly interested in contributing to DOE’s Mining Technology Proving Grounds through geologic and structural characterization of ore systems, high-resolution analysis of fracture networks, and development of 3-D structural/digital models that support resource exploration, in-situ extraction, and digital-twin applications. My expertise aligns with priority R&D areas such as advanced subsurface sensing, geologic data integration, fracture/permeability enhancement, and geomechanical insights that inform precision mining and critical mineral recovery.
I can support project teams by providing (1) structural analysis and geologic modeling of mineralized systems; (2) interpretation of geophysical datasets and digital subsurface workflows; (3) scaled experimental modeling to evaluate deformation, fracturing, permeability, and material behavior; and (4) fracture mechanics and fault system characterization relevant to in-situ mining, solution extraction, or subsurface monitoring. I also offer experience in student training, workforce development, field logistics, and integration of geoscience datasets into AI-ready formats.
I am seeking collaborations with mining engineers, national labs, technology developers, and industry partners to advance subsurface imaging, resource characterization, and structurally informed mining innovations within the Proving Grounds concept. |
| AR |
| | Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey | Richard E. Riman | Distinguished Professor |
Academic
|
University Training and Research
| Repurposing Tailings into Concrete | In case you are unaware, the DoE has released the NOFO: https://www.energy.gov/articles/energy-department-announces-actions-secure-american-critical-minerals-and-materials-supply. There is no doubt that CMI has a massive talent for extracting critical materials, and I hope as many of us as possible apply for this funding, especially those on the commercialization track.
I am sure that all of you are aware of the huge amount of tailings or waste that are generated in the processing of critical materials, mostly in the form of solutions, suspensions, and solids. For every ton of ore, there come 3 tons of tailings. It is no secret that the DoE wants to see commercial processes free of waste or tailings. I am writing to inform you that my research team is available to solve your large-volume tailings and/or waste management issues.
We are interested in learning about your waste streams to repurpose these feedstocks and transform them into valuable products for use in building and infrastructure applications. My group has experience developing processes that have scaled up to 2,000 t/d, enabling us to produce a variety of concrete structures, such as pavers, railroad ties, and hollow-core building slabs. Additionally, we also create advanced composites that behave like wood or metals, thereby opening up new application markets.
We have conducted programs with the DoD, learning how to make concrete from the most unlikely of candidate raw materials and the most remote areas of the world. The secret to our success is solidifying our materials with CO2 instead of water, giving our materials a sustainability advantage that the competition cannot match. We can create one of two different success situations. First, we can utilize the tailings, waste, and even concrete rubble, with no further chemical processing, to create concrete products. Second, when the materials do not react with CO2, we can use our patented low-temperature hydrothermal processes to render them reactive to CO2.
So far, the strength of our materials exceeds that of hydraulic concrete by factors of 3 to 4 times. Our materials solidify in hours, do not shrink, maintain their strength up to 650˚C, and are corrosion-proof to salt; all behaviors that cannot be matched by Portland cement concrete (PCC). At the same time, products made from tailings could cost less than PCC, making them a preferred material for roads and other applications. Our technologies are internationally patented. |
| NJ |
| | Case Western Reserve University | Rohan Akolkar | Professor of Chemical Engineering |
Academic
|
University Training and Research
| | Prof. Rohan Akolkar, who is presently the Milton and Tamar Maltz Professor and Ohio Eminent Scholar in CWRU’s Chemical Engineering Department, has contributed significantly to the fundamental understanding, modeling, development, and scale-up of industrial electrochemical systems with more than 50 peer-reviewed journal articles and 13 US patents. His notable industrially relevant accomplishments include the development of novel electroplating processes used worldwide in semiconductor device manufacturing, new concepts for sensors, electrochemical processes for atomically precise tailoring of materials, and novel electrowinning processes for metallurgical applications. During his 8-year tenure (2004-2012) at Intel Corporation, Akolkar worked on many advanced industrial metal electroplating reactors and processes. In academia (2012-present at CWRU), he has led large multidisciplinary industrially- and federally-funded research efforts on electrochemical processing of materials. Notably, in an ARPA-E funded project that he directed, Prof. Akolkar developed a novel separator design for use in molten-salt electrolysis of Ti metal. Over the last 5 years, Akolkar has developed a wide variety of critical mineral metallization for production of high purity metals such as neodymium, dysprosium, and cerium. Such as a project to develop a novel electrochemical reactor for ‘continuous’ production of neodymium metal from domestic ores. Continuous processing has the advantage of superior energy efficiency, reduced cost, improved control, and ease of process scalability. The electrochemical reactor will employ a molten salt electrolyte comprising chloride species instead of conventional oxyfluorides. This enables an environmentally-friendly process that is free of greenhouse gas emissions. The research team designed the electrochemical reactor, built and demonstrated its operation, and optimized a proprietary anode coating to function efficiently at the operating conditions needed for ‘continuous’ molten neodymium metal production. Complementary tasks included materials characterization to confirm metal product purity, developing new methods for proprietary anode coating fabrication, and a collaboration within the Critical Materials Innovation Hub for Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). |
| OH |
| | Boundless Impact Research and Analytics | Melissa Harclerode | Director of Research |
Small Business
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Other
| | Boundless Impact Research & Analytics (Boundless) is an advanced analytics firm specializing in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Techno Economic Analysis (TEA), supply-chain risk modeling, and system-level performance evaluation for emerging and mission-critical technologies. Our work follows ISO-aligned (ISO 14076) LCA & TEA frameworks consistent with DOE’s TECHTEST methodology supported by validated datasets and external scientific and industry expert review. Boundless has assessed hundreds of technologies across advanced materials, manufacturing, critical minerals, bioenergy, and defense applications, producing standardized, comparable insights that support technology readiness, commercialization planning, and operational decision-making.
Boundless is interested in partnering on the Mine of the Future – Proving Ground Initiative. We do not develop or operate proving grounds, instead, we provide the analytical rigor required to interpret field data, compare technologies using standardized key performance indicators (KPIs) focused on cost, logistics impacts, and system behavior under variable geological and operational conditions.
Our prior government work demonstrates these capabilities. Under DoD’s ESTCP Program , Boundless developed an integrated analytical framework that combined LCA, TEA, scenario modeling, logistics and transportation analysis, sourcing-pathway evaluation, and supply-chain scoring into a single decision-support system.The tool benchmarked a wide range of strategic materials and technologies using defensible, standardized KPIs and enabled scenario-based evaluation of alternative sourcing, facility configurations, and operational parameters.
For Mine of the Future partners, Boundless can provide:
-LCA of mining-system configurations, material movement, and process flow
-TEA of capital and operating costs, productivity, and scale-up potential
-Comparative technology assessment using standardized KPIs and scenario modeling
-Independent evaluation of field-scale performance data (throughput, reliability, downtime, recovery efficiency)
-Supply-chain and logistics modeling for material availability, sourcing risks, and integration pathways
-Structured analytical documentation aligned with DOE reporting and commercialization requirements
Boundless seeks to join teams leading engineering, mining-technology development, or field operations, bringing validated analytical frameworks that strengthen technical credibility. |
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| | Rhino Federated Computing | Abigail Cember | Director of Research Partnerships |
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| Data Infrastructure for Model Training | Rhino Federated Computing offers a platform which enables privacy-preserving analysis or machine learning (i.e. federated computing) when individual batches of data and/or models are the proprietary asset of only one of many cooperating entities. Our platform is agnostic in terms of the data format or type of code objects being executed, which means that we can support many different types of projects, ranging from training embodied AI to predictive analytics based on acoustic or optical signals, etc. We envision that securely incorporating data from numerous edge devices or client servers into model development is likely to be required in industry-spanning cooperative technology development efforts such as the present Mine of the Future initiative. We are interested in providing a federated computing solution tailored to the needs of any team with computation at its technical core but with data which need to remain securely in place. |
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