FAIRFAX, Va., Oct. 5 -- George Mason University issued the following news release:
Mine tailings and other silicon-rich wastes may look like materials with little value left. But locked within their tough mineral structures can be valuable elements and resources that are difficult-and often energy-intensive-to recover.
As part of a newly funded National Science Foundation collaborative research project, George Mason University researchers are exploring whether nature can offer a different way to unlock those resources.
"Many of these materials still contain valuable resources, but they are locked inside very stable silicate structures," said Xijin (Emma) Zhang, an assistant professor in George Mason's Sid and Reva Dewberry Department of ...