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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Recovery of Scandium from Bauxite Residue Using Sulfation Roasting-Assisted Water Leaching Process

Here, this study presents a method for recovering scandium from Indonesian bauxite residue (red mud) through a sulfation roasting-assisted water leaching process. Ammonium sulfate, (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 , was chosen as the sulfate source for its lower melting point, less corrosivity, decreased toxicity, and the potential for ammonia recovery. A modified mixing system was introduced to improve the distribution of (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 on red mud particles by combining them in water. A series of experiments were conducted to optimize the sulfation roasting process by examining the effects of the (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 /red mud ratio, temperature, and roasting time. Subsequently, water leaching was optimized while considering the effect of leaching time and liquid-to-solid (L/S) ratio. The leaching of scandium from the roasted red mud showed rapid kinetics, even when using only water. Under the roasting conditions of 1/1 (g/g) (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 /red mud ratio, 700°C, 60 min roasting time, and the leaching conditions of 65°C, 60 min, and 10 mL/g (L/S), over 90% of scandium was recovered, along with 64.4% Al leaching and below 8% Fe leaching. These results were further corroborated through comprehensive analyses such as x-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). This study offers insights into an alternative, more environmentally friendly method for Sc recovery from red mud, promoting the sustainable use of hazardous waste like red mud.

ammonium sulfate↗
DOE OSTI2026

Extracting Critical Metals from Authentic Bauxite Residue

Securing domestic sources of critical minerals (CM) is paramount to ensuring a robust and self-sustaining technology infrastructure. Utilizing untapped non-conventional sources, like acid mine drainage, coal ash, bauxite residue/red mud, and more is an emerging approach that addresses this national concern while identifying new value-added pathways originating from waste streams. Red mud is a byproduct of the Bayer process that produces alumina and contains a wealth of CM – 50 µg/g Ga, 2.9 mg/g total rare earth elements plus yttrium, 12 mg/g Mn, 58 mg/g Al, and others. About 170 MM tonnes of red mud are co-produced annually alongside the 142 MM tonnes of alumina generated, highlighting the abundancy of this feedstock. In this work, different strategies were explored for extracting CM from authentic bauxite residue that involve thermal heating, microwave heating, and sonication all with different acids and buffers. CM recovery was then explored one step further by testing the adsorption of the extracted metals onto NETL’s Multi-functional Sorbent Technology (MUST). Microwave treatment of red mud proved the most effective CM extraction, whereas sonication was less desirable due to scale-up concerns. Successful recovery of CM from this leachate with MUST supports further studies toward optimizing the overall process.

bauxite residue↗
DOE OSTI2022

Rare earth elements from waste

Rare earth elements (REEs) are critical materials in electronics and clean technologies. With the diminishing of easily accessible minerals for mining, the REE recovery from waste is an alternative toward a circular economy. Present methods for REE recovery suffer from lengthy purifications, low extractability, and high wastewater streams. Here, we report an ultrafast electrothermal process (~3000°C, ~1 s) based on flash Joule heating (FJH) for activating wastes to improve REE extractability. FJH thermally degrades or reduces the hard-to-dissolve REE species to components with high thermodynamic solubility, leading to ~2× increase in leachability and high recovery yields using diluted acid (e.g., 0.1 M HCl). The activation strategy is feasible for various wastes including coal fly ash, bauxite residue, and electronic waste. The rapid FJH process is energy-efficient with a low electrical energy consumption of 600 kWh ton –1 . The potential for this route to be rapidly scaled is outlined.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
DOE OSTI2025

Gulf Coast Basin CORE-CM Initiative (Final Report)

This report describes critical mineral/rare earth element resources, including Gulf Coast coal resources, and waste streams including coal ash from power plants, red mud from alumina processing, heavy mineral concentrates from sand mining industry, zeolite, graphite, and produced water with oil and gas.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗