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    Algae breakthrough for rare earths: process design and recovery notes for miners

    July 27, 2026|

    Reviewed by Joe Ashwell

    Algae breakthrough for rare earths: process design and recovery notes for miners

    First reported on MINING.com

    30 Second Briefing

    Algae grown in a 50‑gallon recirculating trough at Southern Illinois University more than doubled dissolved rare earth element concentrations from finely ground ore, offering a biological alternative to sulfuric acid-based leaching. Microbiologist Scott Hamilton-Brehm’s team then recovered the metals via a patented organic breakdown process, with residual algal biomass suitable for agricultural bio-stimulants or biodiesel. The approach is being tested on additional algae species and could be applied to coal ash, mine waste and e‑scrap, potentially upgrading low-grade or secondary US sources such as Hicks Dome in Illinois.

    Technical Brief

    • Miniature “river system” used a 50‑gallon trough, circulating pumps and LED lighting to simulate flow and sunlight.
    • Finely ground rare earth-bearing rock from Southern Illinois University geologists was added as the solid feedstock.
    • Mechanistic behaviour of metal uptake and concentration by the microalgae remains unknown, flagged as a key research gap.
    • Recovery of rare earths relied on a patented post-bioreactor process that chemically breaks down algal organic matter.
    • Residual algal biomass is being evaluated for agricultural bio-stimulants and biodiesel, improving overall process mass balance.
    • Researchers are screening additional algae species to compare concentration factors and optimise species selection for different feedstocks.
    • Hicks Dome in Hardin County, Illinois, is cited as a crypto-volcanic rare earth target with mineral-rich intrusions and breccia-hosted mineralisation.
    • Potential application to coal ash, mine waste and e‑scrap points to integration with waste remediation circuits rather than primary ore plants alone.

    Our Take

    With China still accounting for about 60% of rare earth mining and 90% of processing in our database figures, any algae-based concentration step trialled at Hicks Dome in Illinois would be strategically attractive to US defence- and EV-linked supply chains looking to localise early-stage upgrading rather than full separation.

    The algae-driven twofold concentration gain, if scalable to coal or copper tailings mentioned in the article facts, could make low-grade US critical minerals residues more bankable, similar to how other critical minerals stories in our coverage are testing niche processing routes to unlock previously uneconomic feedstocks.

    Rare earths appear across multiple critical-minerals pieces in our database, including coverage of MP Materials and USA Rare Earth, so a successful SIU/NSF-backed bio-concentration method would likely feed into those operators’ interest in lower-impact beneficiation options for US-based projects.

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    Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.

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