Prof. Wen Song, Department of Petroleum Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin

"Micro/nanoscale reactive transport controls toward decarbonization"

Abstract: Broad, deep, and urgent decarbonization is needed to sustain habitability on Earth. The deployment of low-carbon energy technology, however, will require extraordinary volumes of mineral resources. For example, demand for rare earth elements (REEs) – essential to the function of magnets and catalysts used in wind turbines and electric vehicles – is expected to grow 5-fold by 2035. In this talk, I will discuss the reclamation of industrial wastes such as coal fly ash as an alternative source of REEs. Specifically, micro/nanoscale morphology and crystallography of the silicate-based particulates are characterized to provide insight on the coupled fluid- and solid-state reactive transport mechanisms that enable REEs extraction. We reveal surprising insights, including reaction-limited solid-state leaching in nonporous matrices, and the role of crystallinity on REEs extraction efficiency and leachate purity. The micro/nanovisual insights here coupled with analytical chemistry and fluid mechanics provide a path toward securing the supply of minerals critical to decarbonization.