Techno-economic analysis of supercritical extraction of rare earth elements from coal ash

Given increasing demand and importance of rare earth elements (REE), exploration is underway to find alternatives to ore-extracted product. With REE concentrations varying between 270 and 1480 ppm, coal ash has been deemed as one such potential source. A number of research groups are exploring technologies to separate REEs from coal ash and supercritical extraction has emerged as a high yield contender. Estimating the economic viability of this lab-scale process at the industrial scale is both important and challenging. In this study we estimate industrial scale cost and revenues of production of REEs from coal ash by combining prior laboratory results, scaling models, combinatorial scenarios and sensitivity analysis. The processing cost of extracting REEs from one ton of coal ash using supercritical CO2 and tributylphosphate (TBP) is found to vary between $380 and $1200 for 550 g of REE. The value of REE oxides that may be obtained per ton of ash is estimated to vary between $6 and $557, with a median of $250. Scandium is the most expensive REE and can account for up to 90% of the value of the yield. The results suggest that factors critical to the economic viability of the process include scandium content & yield, reagent use, and processing time.