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Contract Opportunity

Opportunity:

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), operated by the Lawrence Livermore National Security (LLNS), LLC under contract no. DE-AC52-07NA27344 (Contract 44) with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), is offering the opportunity to enter into a collaboration to further develop and commercialize its novel method of using macromolecules for extraction and purification of rare earth elements.

Background:

Select Rare Earth Elements (REEs) have proven to be extremely important in high value magnet formulations and in electronic systems components. However, REEs are expensive to mine because of high labor and environmental costs. Additionally, recycling these elements is an important aspect of sustainability and cost structure. Therefore, there’s a need for separation methods that can be used to target and isolate specific high value REEs. One promising method is using biomacromolecules that are designed to bind or chelate to specific elements of interest; the bound element can then be separated from other material.

Description:

LLNL researchers along with collaborators at Pennsylvania State University have found that a newly discovered natural protein named Lanmodulin (LanM) could be a potential candidate for extracting REEs from ore or other sources such as coal ash as well as purifying the REE material. Through joint research, the scientists found that LanM undergoes a large conformational change in response to REEs and can be used to recover >99.5% lanthanides and >96% Sc and Y with negligible non-REE impurities in a single step, even from sources containing just 30 ppm REEs. LanM is significantly more selective (1000X) and robust compared to any known REE-binding macromolecules (e.g. proteins, synthetic peptides). The method using LanM works across the lanthanide series and LanM appears to have very good selectivity and works well under varied conditions of temperature, pH and concentrations of impurities. LanM has the potential to bring a new paradigm for extractive metallurgy and other applications.

Advantages/Benefits:

• Efficient and highly selective for extracting a specific REE, outperforming many synthetic REE chelators.


• Stable under acidic environments (pH 3) and high temperature (up to 95 deg C).


• Reduces the cost of REE mining, recovery and refining processes.

Potential Applications:

• Efficient extraction of rare earth elements (REEs) from complex mixtures such as those found in e-waste, REE-containing coal, mine tailings or geothermal brines.


• Purification of REEs (lanthanides + scandium + yttrium).


• Pharmaceutical applications using REE-based drugs such as MRI contrast agents, radiotherapies (alpha and beta therapies), medical imaging (PET scans), heavy metal detoxification (chelation therapies).


• Extraction of REEs for analytical purposes.


• Could be applied to actinide elements (e.g. actinium, americium, curium) in addition to REEs.

Development Status:

Current stage of technology development: TRL 2

LLNL has filed for patent protection on this invention.

U.S. Patent Application No. 2021/0268132 METHODS OF SEQUESTERING TARGET ELEMENTS published 9/2/2021

LLNL is seeking industry partners with a demonstrated ability to bring such inventions to the market. Moving critical technology beyond the Laboratory to the commercial world helps our licensees gain a competitive edge in the marketplace. All licensing activities are conducted under policies relating to the strict nondisclosure of company proprietary information.

Please visit the IPO website at https://ipo.llnl.gov/resources for more information on working with LLNL and the industrial partnering and technology transfer process.

Note: THIS IS NOT A PROCUREMENT. Companies interested in commercializing LLNL's method of using macromolecules for extraction and purification of rare earth elements should provide an electronic OR written statement of interest, which includes the following:

1. Company Name and address.

2. The name, address, and telephone number of a point of contact.

3. A description of corporate expertise and/or facilities relevant to commercializing this technology.

Please provide a complete electronic OR written statement to ensure consideration of your interest in LLNL's method of using macromolecules for extraction and purification of rare earth elements.

The subject heading in an email response should include the Notice ID and/or the title of LLNL’s Technology/Business Opportunity and directed to the Primary and Secondary Point of Contacts listed below.

Written responses should be directed to:

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Innovation and Partnerships Office

P.O. Box 808, L-779

Livermore, CA 94551-0808

Attention: IL-13517

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