Critical materials underpin energy storage, electric transportation, power generation, semiconductors, advanced manufacturing and national defense. Purdue researchers are addressing critical-material challenges through recycling and recovery, advanced separation and purification, and system-level analysis of environmental, economic and supply-chain performance.
Research Areas
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
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Founding partner of DOE’s Critical Materials Innovation Hub (CMI), now in Phase 3 (2023–2028)
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Leading development of a software tool that integrates life-cycle, technoeconomic, and circularity analysis for batteries
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ReElement Technologies is producing commercial-grade critical materials using Prof. Linda Wang’s chromatography purification technology
Challenges and Opportunities
The United States has significant opportunities to expand critical-material recovery and production while increasing recycling and reuse. Unconventional resources and secondary feedstocks—including industrial and end-of-life waste streams—may play an important role. These opportunities bring technical, environmental and economic challenges that require new approaches to recovery, separation and purification. System-level life-cycle, technoeconomic and supply-chain analyses can help guide technology development, commercialization and policy.
Collaborative Research
Selective Recovery of Critical Metals from Produced Water
Purdue is contributing analysis expertise to an ARPA-E RECOVER project led by Carollo Engineers, Inc. The project is developing a biotechnology-based approach using engineered ferritin protein nanocages to selectively recover critical metals from produced water.
The technology is being investigated for recovery of critical metals including lithium, cobalt, nickel, dysprosium and neodymium under mild processing conditions. Purdue's contribution includes analysis support led by Professor John Sutherland, whose research spans sustainable manufacturing, circular-material systems, life-cycle assessment and technoeconomic analysis.
Research Networks & Capabilities
Purdue's collaborative centers anchor IEI's mission by providing specialized expertise and research infrastructure across the energy landscape.
- DOE Critical Materials Innovation Hub - Purdue is a longtime university partner contributing research in recycling, separation, materials recovery and system-level analysis.
- DOE Accelerating Critical Minerals and Material Technology Deployment & Innovation - Advanced characterization capabilities supporting materials research.
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Purdue Research Instrumentation Center - IEI research benefits from Purdue's unparalleled facilities, enabling discovery, design, and testing across the full energy spectrum.
Purdue Research Facilities
IEI research benefits from Purdue's unparalleled facilities, enabling discovery, design, and testing across the full energy spectrum.
A secure supply of critical materials is vital to current and emerging energy technologies. Purdue research strengthens domestic supply chains by advancing recycling, recovery, purification and system-level analysis—and by helping move promising technologies from research toward commercial deployment.