US 12,454,739 B2
Identifying and extracting rare earth elements from mining operations
W. Crawford Elliott, Atlanta, GA (US); and David Shafer, Atlanta, GA (US)
Assigned to Georgia State University Research Foundation, Atlanta, GA (US)
Appl. No. 18/263,440
Filed by Georgia State University Research Foundation, Atlanta, GA (US)
PCT Filed Jan. 28, 2022, PCT No. PCT/US2022/070404
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jul. 28, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/165509, PCT Pub. Date Aug. 4, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/143,502, filed on Jan. 29, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0076761 A1, Mar. 7, 2024
Int. Cl. C22B 59/00 (2006.01); B65G 15/30 (2006.01); C22B 3/22 (2006.01); E02F 9/26 (2006.01); E21C 35/00 (2006.01)
CPC C22B 59/00 (2013.01) [B65G 15/30 (2013.01); C22B 3/22 (2013.01); E02F 9/26 (2013.01); E21C 35/302 (2023.05)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of extracting rare-earth elements from a mining, the method comprising:
using a detector on mining equipment;
receiving material mined from a mining operation, the material comprising bauxite or kaolin;
detecting using the detector a pathfinder element or radioactivity;
separating the material into a first material comprising the pathfinder element or radioactivity and a second material not having the pathfinder element or radioactivity; and
extracting at least one rare-earth element from the first material.