About CAST

The Center for Advanced Separation Technologies is a consortium of universities, including Virginia Tech, West Virginia University, University of Kentucky, Montana Technological University, University of Utah, University of Nevada-Reno, and New Mexico Tech.

It was formed in 2001 with support from the U.S. Department of Energy to conduct research in advanced separation technologies to address critical challenges faced by the mining industry and the technologies and businesses that rely on it.

Our work is fundamental for a range of applications, from recovery of carbon from coal wastes for high-value graphite production to recovery of rare earth elements essential to green energy technologies from industrial and municipal wastes.