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  • Worker remote operates crane moving large graphite cylinders inside plant.

    POSCO signs $733M Ultium graphite deal

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Apr 3, 2024

    In a deal that will further support General Motors' electric vehicle ambitions, POSCO Chemical has entered into a contract to supply Ultium Cells LLC with $733 million (939.9 billion Korean won) of artificial graphite anode material over the next six years. While natural, or mined, graphite makes up much of the anode material going in the lithium-ion batteries that power EVs, artificially produced graphite is added to increase charging speed and extend the life of the...

  • A closeup of a chunk of a metallic, silvery-grey crystalline graphite.

    Nouveau Monde Graphite eyes giant mine

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jun 8, 2023
    1

    PEA outlines plan for 500,000 tpa graphite mine at Lac Guéret in Northern Quebec. As it ramps up to commercial production at its Matawinie graphite mine and Becancour battery materials plant in Quebec, Nouveau Monde Graphite Inc. released the results of a preliminary economic assessment for developing a much larger graphite mining operation at the world-class Lac Guéret deposit on Mason Graphite Inc.'s Uatnan project in Northern Quebec. A road-accessible project about 175 m...

  • A cream-colored band of rock above an old mine shaft in a Montana hillside.

    Sheep Creek's deeper rare earth potential

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Apr 16, 2023

    Critical materials explorer samples historical adits at high-grade rare earth project in SW Montana. A fall program of underground exploration and sampling by US Critical Materials Corp. further confirms the idea that Sheep Creek is one of the highest-grade rare earth discoveries in the United States and supports the need for drilling to fully understand the scope of critical minerals mineralization at this project in southwestern Montana. High-grade rare earths were found at...

  • A white Volkswagen ID.4 EV travels past wind turbines on a European highway.

    No substitute for EU rare earths policy

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Apr 16, 2023

    REIA urges EU to secure rare earth supplies to ensure adequate battery materials to meet 2030 EV targets. Securing an adequate supply of magnet rare earths to help make the most out of the highly competitive lithium battery materials should be an essential element of the European Union's electric vehicle strategy, according to the Rare Earth Industry Association. REIA delivered this message in response to the European Commission's call for input on the proposed European...

  • Red oval showing the radiometric anomaly at Pennington Mountain in Maine.

    Rare Earth MRI discovery in Maine

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Apr 16, 2023

    A recent rare earth elements discovery in the far northern reaches of Maine demonstrates the value of the U.S. Geological Survey's Earth Mapping Resources Initiative, or Earth MRI, an aptly named project under which the USGS is partnering with state geologists to scan America's geology and critical mineral resource potential. Much like the Earth MRI name implies, the Maine project began with airborne magnetic and radiometric geophysical surveys that provided a picture of the...

  • Computer image of lightning striking and pulverizing a rock pillar with stairs.

    BHP invests in new rock-crushing tech

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Apr 16, 2023

    I-ROX tech utilizes micro electrical bursts to pulverize at lower costs and less energy than traditional milling. Could microbursts of electricity be used to discover hidden mineral deposits, drill down into those discoveries for sampling, and then pulverize rock in the discovered deposits to extract the minerals contained within? BHP believes it is possible and is collaborating with I-Pulse Inc. to advance pulsed-power technology for mining. BHP is particularly interested in...

  • Digital image representing an EV being charged with low-carbon wind energy.

    Canada unveils critical mineral strategy

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Apr 16, 2023

    To seize upon a once-in-a-century opportunity to leverage Canada's already world-class mining sector to supply the minerals and metals needed to build the clean energy future, Ottawa has unveiled a strategy backed by a $3.8 billion (US$2.8 billion) investment to bolster the resiliency of critical mineral supply chains in the northern nation. Ottawa began positioning Canada as a major player at the front end of the emerging green energy supply chains with a 2021 list of 31...

  • Night vision image of six-wheeled army vehicle under the Milky Way.

    Senate bill aims to boost strategic metals

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Apr 16, 2023

    Senators Sullivan, Romney introduce bill to reduce DoD overreliance on China for minerals critical to security. Concerned that America is too reliant on China for the minerals and metals critical to national defense and energy security, U.S. senators Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah) have introduced the Critical Mineral Independence Act of 2022 – legislation aimed at bolstering critical minerals production in the United States and allied countries. Over the past...

  • Graphic with the symbol, atomic number and atomic weight of tellurium.

    A secret ingredient to US clean energy

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Apr 16, 2023

    Rare tellurium has emerged as vital metalloid in next-gen solar, solid-state batteries. From longer-range electric vehicle batteries to long-lasting solar panels that efficiently charge those EVs with sunshine, tellurium is quietly becoming one of the most important energy metals that most people have never heard of. "It has flown largely under the radar, even though it's essential for cadmium-telluride solar panels and new lithium-tellurium batteries that could revolutionize...

  • As the sun sets, crews mine rare earths ore from a deposit at Nechalacho in NWT.

    A Vital pivot in rare earths strategy

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Feb 2, 2023

    Following an AU$45 million (US$31.6 million) infusion of cash in July, Vital Metals Ltd. has gone through some significant changes that are being reflected in a new strategy that slows the ramp-up of production at the company's rare earths separation plant in Saskatchewan and focuses the company's resources on expanding production at its Nechalacho Mine in Canada's Northwest Territories. Shortly following this financing anchored by AU$30 million (US$21 million) contributed by...

  • Chain links with binary code representing digital security.

    Ransomware attack idles BC copper mine

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jan 20, 2023

    A ransomware attack that has forced Copper Mountain Mining Corp. to shut down operations at its namesake mine in southern British Columbia elevates concerns about the vulnerability of mining operations that are increasingly dependent on digital technologies. With its computer systems coming under attack late in the day on Dec. 27, the Copper Mountain IT team quickly implemented risk management systems and protocols to limit the damage and ensure safety at the mine. These...

  • A metallic cube of sulfur’s symbol on the periodic table of elements.

    More sulfur for better Li-S batteries

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jan 17, 2023

    Argonne National Lab breakthrough advances lithium-sulfur batteries one step closer to commercial use. Increased energy density at lower costs is the ultimate goal when it comes to making better batteries for smartphones, toys, tools, and electric vehicles. Lithium-sulfur batteries have shown the potential to outperform traditional lithium-ion batteries on both these fronts. This is why scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory are working to...

  • A mining truck loaded with rock being helped up a slope with an overhead trolly.

    ABB, Boliden closing the mining CO2 loop

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Dec 20, 2022

    To lower the carbon footprint of its electric motors and other products that play a major role in allowing mining and many other sectors of the global economy to then lower their carbon footprint further, ABB is building a strategic partnership with Swedish mining and smelting company Boliden for low-carbon copper. Copper is a vital material for manufacturing the electrical equipment that is playing an increasingly important role in industrial applications that are...

  • Flat Martian landscape with dunes, small rocks, and Perseverance’s shadow.

    First extraterrestrial rock sample cache

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Dec 20, 2022

    Perseverance is dropping off a batch of samples for Mars Sample Return robotic team to retrieve. While the impressive toolkit aboard the Perseverance rover provides earthbound scientists with a trove of data on the geological and biological history of Mars, the ultimate goal is to get rock and dirt samples collected by the robotic geologist back to Earth for closer examination. Toward this objective, Perseverance is wrapping up its prime mission by creating a depot of samples...

  • A large, rock-clad earthen dam holds back mining waste and water.

    Mining trio seeks new ideas for tailings

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Dec 13, 2022

    OZ Minerals, Rio Tinto and Boliden launch initiative that encourages entrepreneurs to reimagine mining and mine tailings. Setting aside professional rivalries for the greater good, OZ Minerals, Boliden, and Rio Tinto have joined forces to nurture new technologies that will reduce the environmental risks posed by mine tailings and extract value from these materials currently considered waste after the targeted metals are extracted. "It isn't very often that competitors come...

  • Computer graphics for AI, machine learning, data mining, and related topics.

    Minerva selling AI-driven geo division

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Dec 13, 2022

    Seequent, the geodata company that offers powerful earth modeling solutions such as the Leapfrog Geo 3D modeling software for mining and mineral exploration, has added an artificial intelligence-driven geological modeling tool to its portfolio. Seequent's parent company, Bentley Systems Inc., acquired the geological division of Minerva Intelligence Inc., an AI software company that has developed tools for climate risk evaluation and geological modeling, for C$1 million...

  • Closeup of person with mask and eyeglasses with one fogged and one clear lens.

    A new gold standard for antifog eyewear

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Dec 13, 2022

    Swiss researchers have developed a transparent gold nanocoating that vanquishes the perennial nemesis of glasses wearers – fogging. Unlike traditional antifogging methods, which uses hydrophilic coatings that evenly spread condensation across the surface of the glass, the micro-thin gold layer developed by scientists at ETH Zurich harnesses sunlight to passively heat the lenses to prevent fog from forming in the first place. This works on the same principle as the heating e...

  • A mining truck being pulled up a snowy slope by an overhead trolley.

    ABB, Perenti team up to electrify mining

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Dec 6, 2022

    To build team of experts focused on accelerating decarbonization of mining through electrification. Switzerland-based ABB and Australia-based Perenti Group have forged a partnership focused on establishing strategies that will help their mining clients achieve net-zero carbon emissions at operations around the globe. ABB, a company that has been electrifying mines since delivering the first drives and controls to a mine in Sweden in 1891, brings more than 130 years of...

  • Electric cars, trucks, and vans by Chevrolet, Hummer, Cadillac, and Brightdrop.

    GM secures Vale Canada nickel for EVs

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Dec 6, 2022

    Enters deal for battery-grade nickel sulfate to be produced in Canada's new Battery Valley. In a deal that helps General Motors meet its electric vehicle ambitions and further solidifies Canada as the go-to North American source for low-carbon battery materials, the American automaker has cut a deal for the long-term supply of battery-grade nickel sulfate from a plant Vale Canada Ltd. is building in Quebec's emerging Battery Valley. "This new agreement with Vale reinforces...

  • Cat 793 Electric mining truck towers over more than 50 people posed for a photo.

    Cat unveils two electric mining prototypes

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Dec 6, 2022

    Demonstration of Cat 793 Electric mining truck; new mine site of the future to be built at Tucson test site. With executives from some of the world's largest mining companies on hand to witness the historic event, Caterpillar Inc. carried out its first demonstration of a battery electric 793 large mining truck prototype at the heavy equipment company's proving grounds south of Tucson, Arizona. Roughly as tall as a two-story building and capable of carrying nearly 500,000...

  • Helicopter carrying a large oval antenna over a desert region in Nevada.

    Critical Earth MRI scan of Nevada, Oregon

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Dec 6, 2022

    USGS to carry out Earth MRI scan of lithium-rich areas of western states. Building upon its successful scans of the United States for potential sources of minerals critical to everything from smartphones and kitchen gadgets to the electric vehicles and wind turbines powering the renewable energy future, the U.S. Geological Survey announced it is investing $1.45 million for Earth Mapping Resources Initiative programs in Nevada and Oregon. Under the cleverly named Earth MRI...

  • Red Tesla Model 3 electric vehicle traveling a California highway near LA.

    Win-win solid-state battery discovery

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Dec 6, 2022

    Energy-dense, stable ceramic lithium battery electrolyte offers new use for a plentiful rare earth element. In what could be a win-win discovery for the future of long-range electric vehicles and the rare earths mining sector, engineers at California-based American Elements have invented a ceramic electrolyte material for use in solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries. Lithium-sulfur batteries can store somewhere between two and five times as much energy by weight than the curren...

  • Aerial view of a small gold recovery plant and water storage pond at 3 Aces.

    MICA funds EnviroMetal gold leach tech

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Nov 22, 2022

    Canada's Mining Innovation Commercialization Accelerator has awarded EnviroMetal Technologies Inc. up to C$1.74 million toward the commercialization of a much more environmentally sound alternative to cyanide for leaching gold from ore, concentrates, and other feedstocks. EnviroMetal's potentially game-changing metals recovery technology is based on a proprietary blend of five ingredients that are FDA approved for human consumption that can dissolve gold contained in ores,...

  • An automated battery electric loader being tested in an underground mine.

    Sandvik is adding industrial math power

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Nov 15, 2022

    Polymathian will bolster Sandvik's automated and battery-electric mining solutions. In yet another move to bolster its digital mining technologies division, Sandvik has cut a deal to acquire Polymathian Industrial Mathematics, an Australia-based provider of advanced mine optimization software and services. Founded in 2013 by a trio of mathematicians and operations researchers, Polymathian leverages its world-leading expertise in industrial mathematics, simulation, machine...

  • Soldier fires a machine gun while lying in the snow during winter exercises.

    DoD supports Perpetua's antimony project

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jun 7, 2022

    In a move to break America's dependence on China and Russia for the antimony needed for ammunition, fireproofing compounds, night vision goggles, and other military hardware, the Pentagon is providing $24.8 million to help reestablish a domestic antimony mine at Perpetua Resources Corp.'s Stibnite Gold project in Idaho. While originally established as a gold mine, Stibnite shifted its focus to strategic metals to support the U.S. military during World War II. From 1941 to 1945...

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