Post: As the U.S. Hunts for Critical Minerals in Mine Waste, RZOLV May Hold the Key

States get boost to inventory and characterize critical minerals from former and active mines...

RZOLV - Staff writer - November 25, 2025

The U.S. Geological Survey’s announcement of nearly $3 million in state partnerships to map and analyze critical minerals in mine waste might sound like just another federal program. It isn’t. It represents a profound shift in how America views its mining past—and the hidden value buried in the piles of rock left behind. (News Here)

For the first time in decades, the U.S. government is aggressively pursuing the recovery of strategic minerals from mine waste, not new mines. And that shift opens the door for technologies that can economically extract metals from these complex, often toxic materials.

One such technology, developed in Canada but now gaining U.S. attention, is RZOLV™—a non-cyanide, low-toxicity leaching system originally engineered for gold, but increasingly showing promise across a spectrum of critical mineral feedstocks.

As federal agencies map, sample, and characterize waste from old copper, lead, zinc, uranium, and precious-metal mines, they are uncovering exactly the kinds of challenging mineral assemblages that RZOLV was designed to handle.

A National Priority: Unlock Critical Minerals, Clean Up Old Mines

The urgency is clear. The U.S. relies heavily on foreign suppliers—particularly China—for minerals needed for:

• batteries

• semiconductors

• defense systems

• high-efficiency electronics

• solar and energy storage technologies

  
  

Many of these strategic elements—germanium, gallium, tellurium, cobalt, rare earths—exist as by-products in old mine waste.

The USGS’s Earth MRI initiative is tasked with finding them. And it is quickly becoming evident that mine waste may be one of the most accessible sources of critical minerals the country has.

But identifying these minerals is only the first step. The real challenge is extracting them safely and economically.

That is where RZOLV becomes not just relevant—but potentially transformational.

Why RZOLV Is Positioned to Benefit: A Technology Built for Complex, Difficult Materials

Most mine waste is chemically messy—oxidized, sulfide-rich, arsenic-bearing, carbonaceous, or finely disseminated. Traditional cyanide-based extraction methods cannot be used safely or legally at many of these sites, and smelting is not an option for low-grade materials.

RZOLV offers three critical advantages:

1. It works on materials cyanide cannot touch. - RZOLV potentially dissolves gold and other metals even when embedded in:

   1. sulfide matrices

   2. partially oxidized structures

   3. arsenic-bearing minerals

   4. ultra-fine tailings

      
      

2. It simultaneously detoxifies mine waste when used in conjunction with select chemical compounds. This dual function (metal recovery and remediation) is exactly what the federal initiative calls for.- RZOLV can:

   1. neutralize cyanide residues

   2. immobilize arsenic as stable ferric arsenate

   3. reduce long-term environmental risk

   
   

3. It is safe, water-based, and community-friendly. - Many waste sites exist near towns, farms, waterways, or tribal lands where cyanide is politically and environmentally unacceptable. RZOLV provides a path forward without:

   1. cyanide restrictions

   2. gas-off risks

   3. hazardous materials transport

   4. complex detox circuits

America Has Billions of Tonnes of Untapped Above-Ground Resources

Legacy mine waste represents one of the largest, least-developed mineral resources in the United States.

RZOLV is one of the few modern hydrometallurgical systems that can meet the extract these stranded resources.

• It can recover gold from old tailings.

• It can extract associated by-product critical minerals.

• It can stabilize or eliminate environmental hazards.

• It can enable states to turn cleanup liabilities into economic opportunities.

This aligns perfectly with the Governmental goals of:

• Executive Order 14241

• Secretary’s Order 3436

• USGS Earth MRI

• State geological survey initiatives

• Strategic U.S. mineral independence

A Technology Tailor-Made for This Moment

As the U.S. accelerates its search for domestic critical minerals, the nation will need new tools—clean tools—to recover them. RZOLV is not a theoretical solution. It is an existing, proven chemical system with:

• fast kinetics

• low toxicity

• multi-metal extraction potential

• compatibility with above-ground waste

• strong environmental performance

If America intends to recover critical minerals from mine waste at any meaningful scale, technologies like RZOLV will not be optional—they will be essential.

Conclusion: The U.S. Is Ready to Mine Its Past. RZOLV Can Help Unlock It.

The federal government is handing states a roadmap to reclaim value from old mine waste. What it needs next are technologies capable of doing the work—efficiently, safely, and without bringing new environmental burdens. RZOLV fits that mandate precisely.

What began as a breakthrough in non-cyanide gold leaching may now find itself at the center of the United States’ critical-mineral revival—turning abandoned waste piles into strategic assets and transforming cleanup challenges into national economic opportunities.

America is rediscovering the value buried in its mining legacy. RZOLV may be the key to unlocking it.

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Disclosure and Cautionary Statement

This article has been published by RZOLV Technologies Inc. as part of its corporate communications and investor relations activities and reflects the views and opinions of management as of the date of publication. It is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, an offer to sell, or a solicitation to buy securities. Certain statements in this article may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially. Readers should not place undue reliance on such statements. The Company’s officers, directors, and insiders may hold securities of RZOLV and therefore have a financial interest in the Company’s performance. Readers are encouraged to review RZOLV’s public disclosure documents available on SEDAR+ for a discussion of material risks and assumptions. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider has reviewed or approved the contents of this article.