American Rare Earths Taps University of Wyoming to Study Byproduct Uses at Halleck Creek

Event summary

  • American Rare Earths (ARR) has secured a STAR Project award with the University of Wyoming to explore end-uses for byproducts from Halleck Creek rare earth production.
  • The NSF-funded research will assess tailings and byproducts for potential applications, aiming to enhance project economics and reduce environmental footprint.
  • Deliverables include a material properties database, computational modeling of uses, and small-scale lab experiments for validation.
  • The project is led by Tyler Brown, minerals program manager at the School of Energy Resources, with funding from UW’s NSF ART award.

The big picture

The partnership underscores the growing emphasis on sustainable and economically efficient rare earth production in the U.S., as geopolitical tensions drive demand for domestic supply chains. With Halleck Creek positioned as a key project in this shift, the research could set a precedent for byproduct utilization in critical mineral extraction. The NSF’s involvement highlights the strategic importance of applied research in securing U.S. mineral independence.

What we're watching

Commercial Viability
Whether the research yields commercially viable applications for byproducts that meaningfully improve Halleck Creek’s economics.
Regulatory Alignment
How the project’s environmental footprint reduction aligns with evolving U.S. mining regulations and ESG standards.
Supply Chain Impact
The pace at which byproduct utilization could accelerate U.S. rare earth independence from Chinese imports.