Efforts in Pennsylvania to extract valuable rare earth minerals from tens of millions of tons of coal refuse are finding support in the new state budget.

The Fiscal Code, House Bill 416, provides $1.9 million for a project by Concurrent Technologies Corp. (CTC), a nonprofit research and development firm in Johnstown, to extract and process these minerals from coal ash.

The code authorizes the money for the coal ash research, developing advanced technology and helping small businesses comply with federal cybersecurity rules so they can get contracts.

CTC is refining technology that uses high temperatures to separate rare earth minerals from coal ash, and process them into metals used in products, said Kevin Merichko, senior principal project manager, Wednesday.

Coal ash is a byproduct of coal mines and coal-fired power plants. The burning of coal concentrates rare earth minerals in the leftover ash, said Merichko.

Pennsylvania has the raw materials, electric grid and skilled workers with experience running coal-fired power plants to support rare earth minerals R&D, he added.

CTC has received earlier grants from the state Department of Community and Economic Development for projects.

The CTC project and a research center at Pennsylvania State University Center are at the forefront of rare earth minerals R&D in Pennsylvania.

Rare earth minerals or elements are a group of 17 minerals highly valued in high-tech manufacturing for their magnetic and electrochemical properties. They include cobalt, nickel and manganese.

Rare earth minerals are key to producing weapons systems, smart phones, batteries,

magnets, advanced motors and power generation equipment.

Penn State program

Penn State’s Center for Critical Minerals (C2M) has received federal aid for programs to extract rare earth minerals from acid mine drainage.

C2M built a pilot facility that can extract rare earth minerals from 10,000 gallons of acid mine drainage a day.

“Penn State C2M researchers have developed methods to extract and recover rare earth elements cobalt, manganese, nickel and other critical materials from secondary sources abundant in Pennsylvania and across Appalachia, such as acid mine drainage, fly ash and e-waste,” said director Sarma Pisupati.