On Earth and Beyond Now, from Ancient Profes- sion to Modern Mining

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On Earth and Beyond Now, from Ancient Profession to Modern Mining

Dr. Kwame awuah-Offei prOpOses that yOu cOnsiDer yOur smartphOne if yOu still think of mining as an ancient, low-tech business in today’s scenario. "Every one of the 46 elements in your iPhone comes from the soil," says Awuah-Offei, a Union Pacific/Rocky Mountain Energy Professor of mining engineering at Missouri S&T and temporary director of mining and explosives engineering.

As per the United States Geological Survey, the production value of your smartphone was over $82 billion in 2020. (USGS). The housing is made of aerospace-grade aluminum, the battery cathode is made of lithium cobalt oxide chemistry, the screen is made of rare-earth metals, and the electronics are made of various materials.

Even if the smartphone market slows, Awuah-Offei believes the mining and minerals industries will continue to be in high demand. Minerals are used in industries as diverse as aircraft, computers, buildings, and electronics, according to him. "If it can't be cultivated, it needs to be mined," he says, quoting an adage.

In his conviction in the importance of mining, Awuah-Offei is far from alone. George Webber of Redlands, California, is a mining engineering consultant with nearly 50 years of experience and two mining engineering degrees from S&T. He and his wife, Helma, recently created a $1 million scholarship fund to aid mining engineering students at S&T.

"More mining engineers are needed now than ever before," he argues. "Minerals underpin everything in this world, including today's demand for essential minerals used in the production of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and other renewable energy gadgets."

MINING HAS BECOME A SPECIALIZED FIELD

Mining engineers are in high demand, according to Awuah-Offei, and this trend is expected to continue. The steep fall in the number of mining engineers graduating and entering the sector is helping to increase demand. Each year, around 300 mining engineers graduate in the United States, according to College Factual. In the most recent year for which we have information, 327 mining engineering degrees were awarded in the United States. As per a survey carried by the Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration (SME), enrollment in mining engineering programs in the United States decreased by 46% between 2015 and 2020.

Despite a minor increase in graduates (11.9 percent between 2019 and 2020), many people are concerned that the approaching wave of aged workers departing would lead to a worsening talent shortage.

THE MINING LEGACY OF MISSOURI S&T

Mining is nothing new to Missouri S&T. The University of Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy, established in 1870, was the first mining school west of the Mississippi.

According to College Factual, Missouri S&T is one of about 17 universities in the United States that offers a mining engineering degree of some form, and its program is ranked second on the list of highest-paid graduates. Over 80 graduate and undergraduate students were

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enrolled in the S&T program last fall. The mining engineering program of today looks a lot different than it did in the past. To begin with, it has branched out into the field of explosives engineering.

S&T pioneered the field, awarding the first M.S. in 2010 and the first Ph.D. in 2014. This field is crucial for typical mining procedures. Still, it's also expanding into a specialty niche where engineers are trained to become pyrotechnics specialists for professional sports and the entertainment business.

In addition to teaching and typical research, Missouri S&T academics train ATF agents and military engineers at neighboring Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, undertake traumatic brain injury research, and are exploring with techniques to 3-D print explosives.

A MINING PROGRAM THAT ADDRESSES THE PROBLEMS THAT THE SECTOR IS FACING

S&T's program also considers the issues that the mining industry faces. Ernst & Young (EY) has published a report highlighting the top 10 business risks and opportunities for mining and metals in 2022. Environmental and social concerns are at the top of the list. According to the paper, miners who can demonstrate that they are contributing to a sustainable future will have a competitive edge.

Prioritizing sustainability is also at the heart of decarbonization and the "green" plan, ranking second on the EY list. Last May, Awuah-Offei spoke on this topic during the second of a series of webinars funded by The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine titled "Earth Resources for the Energy Transition."

He described the problematic issue of securing a long-term supply of resources like copper, lithium, and nickel as countries move toward renewable energy in the face of climate change.

S&T is paying attention to this issue. In consequence to the World Bank's estimate that 22 million metric tonnes of copper, 20 million metric tonnes of lithium, and an additional 36 million tonnes of nickel and other materials will be required to power the energy transition in a 2-degree warming scene, S&T's Thomas J. O'Keefe Institute calculated that the required mining holes would total 4 billion cubic meters of excavation.

The mining engineering program of today looks a lot different than it did in the past. To begin with, it has branched out into the field of explosives engineering.

The institute also estimated that such an undertaking would result in 2.8 billion cubic meters of tailings, which are the waste materials left over after the desired mineral is removed from the ore.

By checking the size of mining pits against sports stadium, Awuah-Offei puts such figures into context. He claims that mining for copper alone would result in 2,563 holes the size of Melbourne Cricket Grounds, one of the world's largest stadiums. "The stadium has a volume of around 1.6 million cubic meters." He also mentions Missouri S&T's graduate degree in mining sustainability as an example of how the university adapts its courses in response to industry demand. The curriculum is aimed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to incorporate environmental considerations into mine design and operation.

CRITICAL MINERALS OF THE FUTURE

According to EY, geopolitics is fourth among the top five challenges facing the mining industry. According to AwuahOffei, the USGS identified 35 minerals in 2018 that are regarded as "essential" to the country's economic well-being but are not being produced in adequate numbers in the United States. The cost of things like cellphones, which require metals that are currently in limited supply, could rise due to global instability.

Awuah-Offei and other S&T faculty convened a virtual session last August, in 2021, to gain insight into challenges with materials like cobalt for lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles and tellurium for solar cells.

The event, financed by a National Science Foundation grant, was the first in a planned series of national talks aimed at spurring action and disseminating vital mineral research. The keynote speakers discussed everything from supply networks to global politics to recycling and reprocessing.

The event also addressed the illicit critical-mineral trade, which is becoming increasingly important as essential minerals are occasionally extracted unethically. According to Awuah-Offei, he expects that the workshop's discussions will be used to influence Congress and promote federal funding efforts in 2022 and the coming years.