American Resources Corporation (NASDAQ:AREC) announced Monday that it has expanded its patent and technology base to be used for rare earth element (REE) and critical mineral separation, as well as the future production of graphene and advanced carbon products.
The suite of patents was originally developed by Dr Gerardine Botte, the current Whitacre Department Chair in chemical engineering at Texas Tech University and an independent board member of American Resources. Dr Botte is also the chief technical officer of the company’s subsidiary, Advanced Carbon Materials.
Dr Botte developed and patented these technologies when she served as Ohio University's Distinguished Professor and Russ Professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, American Resources said.
READ: American Resources engages William Smith III to design and build its rare earth and critical mineral purification facilities
Under the licensing agreement, American Resources said it has the exclusive domestic rights, and the exclusive option on international rights for the following patents:
- Coal Electrolysis: Hydrogen, Liquid Fuels, and Carbon Nanotubes Production;
- Simultaneous Removal of Ammonia, Urea, and Metals from Water;
- Methods for the Synthesis of Graphene from Coal, Carbon Chars, and Carbon Solid Sources; and
- Roll-to-Roll Transfer of Graphene and Substrate Recovery.
"I am excited and anxious to get started on commercializing these patents that I have put my heart and soul into developing and refining,” said Dr Botte in a statement.
“These patents and further work we are conducting with electrolysis lives at the heart of the ‘Process’ stage of American Rare Earth's ‘Capture-Process-Purify’ technology chain that we have been building as a company. The amazing aspect of electrolysis is that it will not only help us separate and improve our rare earth oxide concentrate, but it can also be a profit center from the by-products derived during the operation and be an overall environmentally positive process."
American Resources said that the licensed suite of technologies is centered around the use of electrolysis for the separation and processing of carbon, coal waste and carbon by-products, including fly ash as a feedstock.
The ability to utilize the technology to process and separate metals and ions from water and other materials acts as a complementary process to chromatography, which has been identified as the final stage of the company's purification and isolation technology.
Additionally, this technology has the ability to provide a clean and viable solution for fly ash reprocessing and mitigate potential long-term environmental issues for existing and former coal-fired power plants. During the rare earth separation process, the company will also have the ability to create high-value by-products to be used to offset costs or drive profits such as graphene, purified carbon, purified fly ash, and hydrogen.
"Several years ago, we set out to achieve an efficient and environmentally safer way to produce critical and rare earth elements through recycling and reprocessing waste streams and materials in the domestic market,” said CEO Mark Jensen. “Today we can officially say that this technology and these patents that we have secured from Ohio University, with the assistance of their great team, significantly enhances our process chain of technologies at a worldwide competitive cost structure.”
Jensen added: “When building our 'Capture. Process. Purify.' technology chain, we laser-focused in on securing this technology and bringing Dr. Botte in as a team member. We are fortunate to build this team and secure these technologies at a time when innovation is needed to meet the electrification market needs as well as our national security. Now, our focus is squarely on commercializing our process chain and letting the bright minds we have brought together to execute on our collective vision for the future - make the United States energy independent inclusive of the electrification market."
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