• Improved processing technology for 

 the prompt, economical recovery of 

 copper and byproduct metals from 

 ores, concentrates, and mine wastes 



• Technologies for recovering alumina 

 from domestic nonbauxitic resources 

 to lessen U.S. dependence on im- 

 ported bauxite and alumina 



• Improved beneficiation methods for 

 recovering nonmetallic minerals 

 from domestic ores and/or mineral 

 wastes 



• Improved technology for recovering 

 uranium from various low-grade, 

 domestic refractory carboniferous 

 and siliceous resources 



• Basic physical/chemical data in sup- 

 port of the alumina miniplant project 



• Evaluation of wet high-intensity 

 magnetic separators as a means of 

 concentrating iron-bearing materials 



• Application of advanced techniques 

 to improve concentration of chro- 

 mite from complex domestic sources 



• Application of extraction technology 

 to 0.01 percent uranium resources 



• Methods for identifying, measuring, 

 and controlling fugitive and accesso- 

 ry elements and compounds that are 

 present in minerals processing sys- 

 tems and pass through into the waste 

 streams or atmosphere. 



List of Priorities (long-term) 



• Wider uses for more abundant 

 domestic minerals as substitutes for 

 critical materials and commodities in 

 short supply 



• Economic methods to recover miner- 

 als and metals from domestic ores of 

 progressively lower grade and com- 

 plexity 



• Technologies to facilitate the com- 

 plete recovery of minerals now wast- 

 ed during processing 



• Less-energy intensive metallurgical 

 processes or use of low-cost energy 

 sources 



• Technology to increase the portion 

 of U.S. metal and mineral needs met 

 by secondary resources 



• Recycling metal and nonmetallic 

 materials from industrial and obso- 

 lete consumer scrap materials (re- 

 covery techniques and incentives) 



• Improved metallurgical processing 

 technology base for preventing envi- 

 ronmental degradation without unne- 

 cessarily restricting efforts by the 



310 PRIORITfES AND GAP AREAS 



minerals industry to meet the Na- 

 tion's mineral needs 

 Improved processing technology for 

 minimizing undesirable environmen- 

 tal effects 



Expanded use of secondary materi- 

 als in various metal alloys or nonmet- 

 al products (evaluation, demonstra- 

 tion, and promotion) 

 Identification of potential scrap ma- 

 terials to allow early development of 

 processing and recovery techniques. 



List of Gap Areas 



• Deep brine scaling mechanisms and 

 kinetics 



• Simulation of experimental metal- 

 lurgical and engineering research 

 using computer modeling 



• Magnetic and electrostatic advanced 

 mechanisms that have potential for 

 separation of the mineral constitu- 

 ents of low-grade and complex ore. 



U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) 



The U.S. Geological Survey is charged with (I) 

 increasing knowledge about U.S. earth resources 

 and geological processes that affect land use and 

 (2) classifying Federal lands and supervising min- 

 eral lease development on Federal and Indian 

 lands. USGS basic research interests reflect these 

 dual responsibilities. Priorities are founded on 

 basic agency mission goals and are tempered by 

 congressional mandates, executive directives, 

 cooperative agency needs, and feedback from 

 various review groups. 



List of Priorities (current and short-term) 



• Improved mineral and energy re- 

 sources assessment methods 



• Improved understanding of geody- 

 namics — the forces and processes 

 from within the Earth that affect 

 crustal features, such as the conti- 

 nental plates and the oceanic basins 



• Improved earth sciences information 

 dissemination 



• Improved methods of predicting and 

 assessing the occurrence and effects 

 of geologic hazards such as earth- 

 quakes, volcanic eruptions, and 

 landslides 



• Description of surface- and ground- 

 water transport of solutes 



• Description of the dynamics of eco- 

 logical systems, especially with re- 

 gard to estuaries 



• Development of interdisciplinary ap- 

 proaches to the understanding of wa- 



