WSU to study rare earth elements in Everett

  • By Jocelyn Robinson For The Herald Business Journal
  • Friday, July 31, 2015 5:05pm
  • Business

They’re essential to all electronics.

Europium. Promethium. Scandium. And others.

The second to last rung on the Periodic Table is devoted to the so-called “rare earth elements,” metals that are used in everything from cell phones to wind turbines.

Because these minerals are vital to consumer electronics, as well as defense and green techology, they’re a big deal.

“Rare earths impact everyone,” said Chris Keane, Washington State University’s vice president of research. “If you have a cell phone, you’re impacted; if you have a computer, you’re impacted.

“One of the reasons the colors are so bright on your screen is because of rare earths — Europium in particular.”

Right now, China controls 90 percent of rare earth production in the world.

That may change and WSU in Everett may be part of the reason.

WSU North Puget Sound at Everett will soon become the home to a new institute looking to develop alternatives to rare earth elements and recycle the elements out of existing products.

It’s the first research program for the emerging campus.

The Joint Center for Deployment and Research in Earth Abundant Materials (JCDREAM) was established by legislation sponsored by Rep. Norma Smith, R-Clinton, and signed by Gov. Jay Inslee on July 6.

Smith cited issues of environmental sustainability, national security and supply chain stability for the creation of the center.

Rare earth elements earned their name because they were originally hard to find, Keane said.

“It turns out they’re just clustered in the earth in various spots,” he added.

The majority of those clusters are in China.

Rep. Smith added the United States Geological Survey found that Afghanistan is a mineral-rich nation.

She said that more than 70 percent of titanium — not a rare earth element, but a difficult-to-source element used to create lightweight and more fuel-efficient transportation technologies — comes from Ukraine and Russia. Tensions in those countries have threatened the supply chain of rare earth minerals.

Mining for these elements is a highly toxic, resource intensive process. A lot of chemicals are used to break down the raw material and extract a small amount of rare earths, Keane said.

Those environmental concerns led Smith to develop the legislation.

“For us to say we want to deploy next-generation technology and yet do so in a way that exports the environmental harm of improper mineral extraction to other nations is not an acceptable strategy,” Smith said.

In addition to finding possible substitutes to rare earth elements, the center will also look at expanding the recycling of those elements. Currently, less than 1 percent of rare earths are recaptured from used consumer electronics.

The legislation also establishes a partnership between the state’s research institutions: WSU, the University of Washington and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

“When you put your best researchers form WSU, UW and PNNL together, you’re going to get some very exciting results,” Smith said.

The partnership will bring together a broad basis of knowledge in subjects like materials science, materials engineering and chemistry, said Christian Mailhoit, a WSU materials science professor, who testified to the Legislature in support of Smith’s bill.

“You really need to understand these phenomenon at the fundamental level in order to translate that knowledge into things like recycling, manufacturing and substitution,” Mailhoit said.

Having that basis of fundamental science will lead to development and deployment of new technologies.

“It’s really important to have that deployment aspect to it so you can fully realize the benefit of research,” Mailhoit said. “I think it will be very beneficial to the state in particular and the country in general.”

The legislation establishes a board of directors for the institute; members will include representatives of WSU, the University of Washington, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, community colleges and related industries. Having the community colleges and industries on board ensures that institute will help prepare a work force that can build what the institute develops. Smith said that was a critical component to the center.

Establishing the center at the North Puget Sound branch is part of a larger WSU initiative to expand the school’s offerings at that site, said Chris Mulick, WSU’s director of state relations.

“To date, our activity has really been around bring new academic programs to the area, but this would be something different,” Mulick said. “It makes a lot of sense, and looking down the road, it makes a lot of sense for that economy as well.”

Materials science research is important to aerospace manufacturers, Keane said. The center essentially establishes a materials science program in Everett.

“There’s a lot of industries in Everett interested in materials science research,” Keane said.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Business

Black Press Media operates Sound Publishing, the largest community news organization in Washington State with dailies and community news outlets in Alaska.
Black Press Media concludes transition of ownership

Black Press Media, which operates Sound Publishing, completed its sale Monday (March 25), following the formerly announced corporate restructuring.

Maygen Hetherington, executive director of the Historic Downtown Snohomish Association, laughs during an interview in her office on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, in Snohomish, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Maygen Hetherington: tireless advocate for the city of Snohomish

Historic Downtown Snohomish Association receives the Opportunity Lives Here award from Economic Alliance.

FILE - Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs poses in front of photos of the 15 people who previously held the office on Nov. 22, 2021, after he was sworn in at the Capitol in Olympia, Wash. Hobbs faces several challengers as he runs for election to the office he was appointed to last fall. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)
Secretary of State Steve Hobbs: ‘I wanted to serve my country’

Hobbs, a former Lake Stevens senator, is the recipient of the Henry M. Jackson Award from Economic Alliance Snohomish County.

Mark Duffy poses for a photo in his office at the Mountain Pacific Bank headquarters on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Mark Duffy: Building a hometown bank; giving kids an opportunity

Mountain Pacific Bank’s founder is the recipient of the Fluke Award from Economic Alliance Snohomish County.

Barb Tolbert poses for a photo at Silver Scoop Ice Cream on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024 in Arlington, Washington. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Barb Tolbert: Former mayor piloted Arlington out of economic brink

Tolbert won the Elson S. Floyd Award, honoring a leader who has “created lasting opportunities” for the underserved.

Photo provided by 
Economic Alliance
Economic Alliance presented one of the Washington Rising Stem Awards to Katie Larios, a senior at Mountlake Terrace High School.
Mountlake Terrace High School senior wins state STEM award

Katie Larios was honored at an Economic Alliance gathering: “A champion for other young women of color in STEM.”

The Westwood Rainier is one of the seven ships in the Westwood line. The ships serve ports in the Pacific Northwest and Northeast Asia. (Photo provided by Swire Shipping)
Westwood Shipping Lines, an Everett mainstay, has new name

The four green-hulled Westwood vessels will keep their names, but the ships will display the Swire Shipping flag.

A Keyport ship docked at Lake Union in Seattle in June 2018. The ship spends most of the year in Alaska harvesting Golden King crab in the Bering Sea. During the summer it ties up for maintenance and repairs at Lake Union. (Keyport LLC)
In crabbers’ turbulent moment, Edmonds seafood processor ‘saved our season’

When a processing plant in Alaska closed, Edmonds-based business Keyport stepped up to solve a “no-win situation.”

Angela Harris, Executive Director of the Port of Edmonds, stands at the port’s marina on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024, in Edmonds, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Leadership, love for the Port of Edmonds got exec the job

Shoring up an aging seawall is the first order of business for Angela Harris, the first woman to lead the Edmonds port.

The Cascade Warbirds fly over Naval Station Everett. (Sue Misao / The Herald file)
Bothell High School senior awarded $2,500 to keep on flying

Cascade Warbirds scholarship helps students 16-21 continue flight training and earn a private pilot’s certificate.

Rachel Gardner, the owner of Musicology Co., a new music boutique record store on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024 in Edmonds, Washington. Musicology Co. will open in February, selling used and new vinyl, CDs and other music-related merchandise. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
New Edmonds record shop intends to be a ‘destination for every musician’

Rachel Gardner opened Musicology Co. this month, filling a record store gap in Edmonds.

MyMyToyStore.com owner Tom Harrison at his brick and mortar storefront on Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Burst pipe permanently closes downtown Everett toy store

After a pipe flooded the store, MyMyToystore in downtown Everett closed. Owner Tom Harrison is already on to his next venture.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.