Amermin wins $11.5M DOE grant to scale critical mineral processing

Amermin, an Austin, Texas-based critical minerals recycler and refiner, recently was awarded an $11.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management to scale its processing capabilities, with a focus on tungsten carbide.

Amermin notes that critical materials and minerals are crucial for modern life and are used across nearly every industrial sector, including defense, nuclear power, energy, aerospace, agriculture, construction, healthcare and technology. However, the company adds that these materials often are mined in foreign countries at a high cost, putting pressure on the global supply chain and forcing reliance on volatile trading partners and nations with “substandard” mining regulations.

“We appreciate the DOE’s confidence in Amermin to establish a reliable domestic source of critical materials and minerals, addressing important supply chain and national security issues,” Amermin CEO Ryan McAdams says. “This funding will enable Amermin to increase the output of tungsten carbide by 300 percent through the expansion of our state-of-the-art tungsten carbide reclamation facility, reducing our country’s reliance on foreign nations like China, which produces 83 percent of the world’s tungsten supply. We know that America’s future depends on access to critical materials, and together we are charting a new path in American innovation.”

Amermin says it specializes in tungsten, copper, nickel, cobalt and graphite processing, returning those materials to manufacturing specifications and extending their life cycles.

The company, founded in 2017, tells Recycling Today it plans to use the DOE funding to scale operations and expand its footprint at its 80-acre campus currently under construction in Briggs, Texas. The company says it expects the expansion—which includes increased metallurgical laboratory capabilities and additional processing lines—to be complete in the second quarter of this year.

To date, McAdams says Amermin and its sister company, Drill Bit Exchange, have recycled more than 56 million pounds of material sourced from a variety of industries, such as energy, oil and gas, aerospace, defense, manufacturing, technology, construction and automotive. In particular, Amermin’s capabilities include proprietary electrochemical processing, mineral/metal concentration, refining, sizing and blending.

The grant was awarded to Melt Technologies L.P., which does business as Amermin, an asset recovery and processing business. Amermin is a sister company to Drill Bit Exchange, which provides asset recovery solutions for the drill bit industry.

“I am thrilled that Amermin was selected and approved by the U.S. Department of Energy to increase its production of critical minerals, directly aiding American oil and gas producers,” says U.S. Rep. August Pfluger. “Our country cannot afford to rely on our adversaries for the resources that power our energy industry. This investment strengthens our district’s role in American energy leadership while providing good-paying jobs to Texas families.”