STEM Café—Critical Minerals: The Hidden Materials Required for Green Energy

Sept. 11, 6:30-8:30 p.m. 

Join us from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 11, at Fatty's Pub and Grille in DeKalb, Illinois, for the next STEM Café—Critical Minerals: The Hidden Materials Required for Green Energy.

Many of the technologies we need for green energy — such as advanced batteries and solar panels — are made from materials that exist in incredibly small proportions within the Earth. These critical metals and minerals are difficult to find, and often we know little about their processes of formation.

Gold, for example, is used in cell phones, GPS units and high-performance electronics. Yet, gold is found is such small amounts that a ton of rocks considered to be “high concentration ore” may only produce one gram of gold. Another example is the Rare Earth Elements (REEs) used in many of the technologies required to make green energy a reality. Although they’re not as rare as the name implies, REE use has increased by approximately 5,000% over the last 60 years. Many of these REEs are sourced from a single country, and any supply chain disruption could greatly impact global trade and technology.

We’re now facing urgent questions: Do we have enough of these critical materials to support a shift to green energy sources in a timely manner? Or do we risk having found an answer to climate change but not being able to implement it in time?

Speaker:
• Mark R. Frank, Ph.D., professor and chair, NIU Department of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment.

Northern Illinois University STEM Cafés are part of NIU STEAM and are designed to increase public awareness of the critical role that STEM fields play in our everyday lives. They are offered in partnership with the NIU Alumni Association and made possible with support from Thermo Fisher Scientific and Bayer Fund.