Georgia Tech maps minerals beyond mines

The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded $7.5 million to the Georgia Institute of Technology to lead a regional initiative focused on identifying critical minerals across the Atlantic coastal plain. This project, known as CM-MAP, aims to evaluate both natural sedimentary deposits and industrial byproducts to bolster domestic supply chains for essential technologies like batteries and semiconductors. For the Mining & Metals sector, this represents a significant shift toward unconventional resource recovery and the integration of advanced data science into mineral exploration and recycling.

Georgia Tech’s $7.5 million award from the DOE’s Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation establishes the Critical Minerals in the Atlantic Seaboard Plain (CM-MAP) project. This initiative expands the federal Carbon Ore, Rare Earth, and Critical Minerals (CORE-CM) program into the Southeast, targeting a wide range of materials including kaolin, bauxite, heavy mineral sands, and phosphates. Beyond primary deposits, the research team will investigate secondary resources such as legacy mining residues and coal combustion byproducts to determine their potential as viable mineral sources for defense applications and energy technologies.

The project is led by Principal Investigator Yuanzhi Tang, who serves as the founding director of Georgia Tech’s Center for Critical Mineral Solutions and the Georgia Power Professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. Researchers will utilize artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyze large datasets collected from natural and industrial sites, aiming to optimize extraction pathways and guide future recovery and recycling strategies. This data-driven approach is intended to create a regional innovation ecosystem that connects resource discovery with materials processing and advanced manufacturing, supported by the Georgia Critical Mineral Supply Chain Manufacturing Demonstration Center.

CM-MAP involves a broad network of collaborators, including national laboratories, industry partners, and regional economic development agencies across the Southeast. The initiative also leverages international ties through a UK-U.S. working group that connects researchers and government agencies to strengthen global supply chains. According to Tim Lieuwen, Georgia Tech’s executive vice president for research, the effort is critical for securing essential supply chains and enabling next-generation energy technologies, while also focusing on developing the skilled workforce necessary to support these emerging industrial sectors.