L. Lammers, J. Mueller, G. O. Cadwalader, R. Sprengel
Travertine Technologies, Colorado, United States
Keywords: REEs, rare earths, magnets, phosphogypsum, waste
Phosphate production for fertilizer and LFP batteries in the US creates >30 million tons of phosphogypsum waste per year that must be disposed of in engineered stacks (Federal Highway Administration, 2016), today amounting to over 1 billion tons of phosphogypsum waste. This waste is a rare earth element (REE) resource that could satisfy up to 50% of all domestic REE demand (Sowers 2023). In Florida’s phosphogypsum stacks, ample concentrations of the “big four” REEs (Neodymium, Praseodymium, Dysprosium, and Terbium) have been identified, with total REE concentrations up to 500 ppm (Zhang et al.,. 2018), an estimated >200,000 tons of REEs (Wenners Herron, 2021). Travertine Technologies’ novel electrochemical salt-splitting technology produces sulfuric acid and cementitious materials from this phosphogypsum feedstock, and Travertine can simultaneously extract these REEs from phosphogypsum for conversion into REE oxides. This technology provides a domestic source of critical REEs critical for high-temperature permanent magnets, fighter jets, naval ships, submarines, advanced radar and other military technologies, while converting problematic waste into useful products.