HIGHLIGHTS
- Locksley Resources Enters into a Sponsored Research Agreement with Columbia University to Develop Advanced, Sustainable Processing Technologies for Rare Earth Elements (REE) and Critical Metals Recovery
- Research will integrate AI-driven ore characterization, innovative electrochemical recovery and CO2-assisted mineral processing to address the limitations of traditional, non-US processing methods
- The program complements Locksley’s existing green DeepSolv™ antimony processing partnership with Rice University, establishing a unified U.S. technology development strategy for two commodities
- Techno-Economic Assessment (TEA) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) will support recommendations for scalable, low-impact pilots in the US.
- Research focus areas align directly with critical funding mandates from the Department of Energy’s (DOE) recent $355 million funding announcement. Including the $80 million ‘Mine of the Future – Proving Ground’ initiative, supporting development, processing innovation and sustainable mining technologies
The research program will be led by Professor Greeshma Gadikota, director of the Lenfest Center for Sustainable Energy at Columbia University and a leading researcher in electrochemical and CO2-assisted mineral processing technologies.
Professor Greeshma Gadikota, lead researcher at Columbia University, noted:
“Our team is excited to collaborate with Locksley Resources to develop scalable, low-impact pathways for rare earth recovery. The combination of advanced electrochemical science, artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled resource mapping and industry-tailored pilot design, provides a transformative route to sustainable production of critical minerals in the US.”
Program overview
The collaboration will develop an integrated technology platform for the advanced characterization, recovery and separation of REEs and transition metals from carbonate, monazite and silicate ores within the Clark Mountain District, the geological district that hosts both the El Campo Prospect and the adjacent Mountain Pass Mine.
The project has three main objectives:
- Ore characterization: Detailed mineralogical, compositional and morphological studies of REE-bearing ores using advanced spectroscopy and microscopy to inform processing design.
- Technology development: Creation of tunable electrochemical and CO2-assisted leaching systems for >80% solution efficiency, followed by pH swing and sorbent-based selective recovery of REEs and co-metals.
- Field Implementation Strategy: Integrating TEA and LCA to identify scalable, low-impact pilot paths for mine-to-material deployment.
Columbia will also utilize AI-based ore mapping and low-impact mining technologies, including selective trenching systems, autonomous precision milling and AI-powered rock recognition, to evaluate new “Mines of the Future” concepts under active U.S. Department of Energy and ARPA-E frameworks.
Locksley will advance project financing of $150,000 over the next twelve months to support the development of the intellectual property under the agreement.
Stragic importance
This collaboration expands Locksley’s established US technology platform alongside Rice University’s DeepSolv DES processing program, expanding the company’s US university partnerships into both antimony and rare earths, two critical minerals central to the independence of the US supply chain.
This strategic positioning is further strengthened by DOE’s recent $355 million funding announcement to support domestic production of critical minerals, sustainable mining technologies, and pilot-scale processing development. Many of the Columbia program’s key research workstreams, including electrochemical extraction, AI-assisted ore mapping, and TEA/LCA frameworks, are directly aligned with the objectives of the DOE initiatives.
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