American Resources Corporation (NASDAQ:AREC) has announced it is progressing towards the commercialization of its rare earth element (REE) electrolysis processing technology.
The company said it has procured supplemental equipment to enhance the functionality of the 2kW mobile electrolytic cell REE processing plant currently in the build phase in conjunction with its sponsored research partner Texas Tech University.
American Resources said the supplemental equipment includes a high-performance microwave digestion system that works with inductively coupled plasma - optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) equipment.
READ: American Resources grows supply chain for waste permanent magnets and lithium-ion batteries to be recycled for rare earth minerals
The equipment allows the company to break down and analyze in real-time the REE analysis in various fly ash samples and other feedstock that will then be processed and evaluated to determine the most accretive sites to send its electrolysis processing plant post-build.
American Resources said its partnership with Texas Tech was formed to bolster the company's technology and operating wherewithal regarding the implementation and cell development of its electrolysis facility. The sponsored research program is focused on not only building the electrolysis facility, but also to maximize the scalability, functionality, and efficiency of the REE electrolysis processing facility.
"The advancement and evolution of our rare earth element Capture - Process - Purify process chain is extremely exciting for us and we feel it's at the forefront of rare earth element innovation, which is critical for creating a resilient national supply chain,” said American Resources CEO Mark Jensen in a statement.
“This supplemental equipment we are adding to our electrolysis process and analysis is key as we progress with our mobile electrolysis facility and more directly, where we send our mobile facility for further analysis post our initial analysis of feedstock samples sent to our technical partners through our fly ash sampling program.”
Jensen added: “A key for the commercialization of this process is being able to turn samples quickly and efficiently when evaluating fly ash deposits. Having a microwave digestor in combination with an ICP-OES machine enables real-time lab analysis of REE and critical element concentrates of fly ash, versus having to send off to an external lab. This functionality selected by our team in Texas is a strong step forward in our process."
American Resources said it continues to aggressively advance its technology suite towards commercialization with the goal of deploying its mobile electrolysis facility into the field by early next year.
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