IEI brings Purdue research and industry together to strengthen U.S. critical-material supply chains and manufacturing competitiveness. Purdue partners with industry, government and national laboratories to advance recovery, separation and purification technologies for critical materials from secondary feedstocks and other sources. Through collaborative research and technology translation, IEI helps move promising approaches toward commercial deployment and regional economic impact.
Industry Partners
ReElement Technologies
ReElement Technologies licensed Purdue’s purification technologies in 2021 and demonstrated them at pilot scale in 2022 — a 1,500× scale-up from the lab. The company is now building its first commercial plant in Marion, Indiana, a further 1,000× scale-up, to produce rare earth elements in 2027.
Research & Technology Partners
Purdue collaborates with industry, national laboratories and federal agencies to advance critical-material recovery, separation, purification, analysis and technology deployment.
International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (iNEMI)
Ames National Laboratory
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Argonne National Laboratory
Idaho National Laboratory
Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E)
Active Federal Research Programs
Purdue participates in federally supported research programs advancing critical-material recovery, recycling, separation, purification and circular-material systems.
DOE Critical Materials Innovation Hub
Purdue is a university partner in the Critical Materials Innovation Hub, supporting research that advances critical-material recovery, separation, processing and system-level analysis.
ARPA-E CIRCULAR
Catalyzing Innovative Research for Circular Use of Long-lived Advanced Rechargeables supports technologies and systems designed to improve the circular use and recovery of materials from advanced rechargeable batteries.