The Elements of Innovation Discovered

Articles from the November 13, 2024 edition


Sorted by date  Results 1 - 11 of 11

  • A conveyor belt with old batteries and other electronics.

    Li-Cycle secures $475M DOE loan for hub

    A.J. Roan, Metal Tech News|Updated Nov 12, 2024

    Funding to support New York facility to recycle critical battery materials. Amid rising demand for domestic battery recycling solutions, Li-Cycle Holdings Corp. has secured a landmark $475 million loan from the U.S. Department of Energy to advance the development of its Rochester Hub project, a facility poised to become North America's first commercial-scale hydrometallurgical battery materials recovery center. Over the past few years, Li-Cycle has emerged as a leader in...

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  • Hand using a magnifying glass to burn a spot on a globe showing Myanmar, China.

    Myanmar REE mining halts, prices soar

    K. Warner, Metal Tech News|Updated Nov 12, 2024

    Half the world's heavy rare earth production grinds to a halt amidst civil war. Myanmar's top exports have long been oil and natural gas, followed by fruits and vegetables, wood, fish, clothing, and rubber. Its main export partnerships are with China, India, Japan, South Korea, Germany, Indonesia and Hong Kong. Today, this small country has found itself to be an essential source of heavy rare earth elements (HREEs), vital ingredients for the magnets used in electric vehicles a...

  • A hand applying thermal paste from a syringe onto a CPU.

    A cool revolution: thermal paste levels up

    A.J. Roan, Metal Tech News|Updated Nov 12, 2024

    Texas researchers know how to handle heat, boosting cooling by 72%. Few topics among PC enthusiasts spark as much heated debate – literally and figuratively – as the humble thermal paste. Ask any tech head about the ideal amount or application pattern, and you'll likely get a different answer every time. Now, material scientists may have flipped the script with an industry-changing thermal compound boasting unprecedented cooling potential – sorry gamers, it's designed for d...

  • AI-generated image of a diamond holding digital information.

    Diamonds hold the key to quantum computing

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Nov 12, 2024

    German scientists demonstrate that precious gems can encapsulate entangled qubits, the quantum version of bits in classic computers. Considering that quantum computers have the potential to solve complex problems in a matter of seconds that would take today's most advanced supercomputers decades to answer, scientists around the world are racing to overcome the challenges associated with developing a quantum computer that is efficient, reliable, and compatible with existing...

  • Close-up photo of a man holding a very small microchip.

    New sound discovery may shrink technology

    A.J. Roan, Metal Tech News|Updated Nov 12, 2024

    Breakthrough combination of tech metals manipulates sound to miniaturize and boost devices. Once a passive carrier of vibrations, sound is now being reimagined as a driving force behind a breakthrough in phononic technology, with researchers crafting a revolutionary material that could shrink smartphones to the size of a credit card while boosting performance and energy efficiency. In recent years, phononics – the science of manipulating sound waves – has emerged as a new fron...

  • Rendering of the backside of a silvery metallic robotic hand.

    Soft robotic muscle lifts 1000x own weight

    K. Warner, Metal Tech News|Updated Nov 12, 2024

    Researchers have engineered a nanomaterial flexed by rare earth magnets that is as soft as skin but strong as steel. The studies of robotics, biomedical engineering, and wearable technology all intersect over the immensely complex task of replicating human musculature – creating materials strong enough to replace or enhance human limbs, flexible and soft enough to manipulate delicate objects or complete precise tasks in everyday life, during space exploration or on a b...

  • Rendering of capsule-shaped LPAS separation device.

    Plasma recovers 95% spent battery material

    K. Warner, Metal Tech News|Updated Nov 11, 2024

    Princeton working to scale process of efficiently recycling EV batteries through a spin-off company. As electric vehicle industry players focus on integrating and scaling efficient recycling into the battery supply chain, circular solutions are coming to play a vital role in monetizing waste streams. The National Academy of Science and Engineering estimates that the number of used EV batteries available will increase to 150 million in the year 2035. In 2020 alone, around...

  • 26 Peruvian business leaders on the trade show floor at MINExpo.

    Peru poised to deliver clean energy metals

    Alvaro Silva-Santisteban|Updated Nov 11, 2024

    The largest Peruvian business delegation in U.S. history shows steps towards a greener future. Just a few short months ago, a record-breaking delegation of over 300 Peruvian business leaders attended MINExpo 2024, the premier mining conference hosted by the National Mining Association in Las Vegas. This marked the largest Peruvian delegation ever to attend the event, underscoring the growing importance of our partnership with the U.S. in the mining sector. But why has the...

  • African woman mine worker in an orange hard hat and jacket sitting outside.

    Critical Minerals Africa Group is formed

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Nov 11, 2024

    CMAG is on a mission to foster relationships the will unlock Africa's vast critical mineral potential. Sub-Saharan Africa is estimated to host nearly one-third of the world's proven critical minerals reserves but has struggled to have its voice heard when it comes to global critical minerals policy and supply chains. The newly launched Critical Minerals Africa Group (CMAG) aims to provide African policymakers, business leaders, and citizens a seat at the table when it comes...

  • Two Caterpillar mining trucks hauling rock out of a stone quarry.

    Blue light signals Cat automation growth

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Nov 8, 2024

    Caterpillar debuts aggregate sector-sized autonomous haul trucks at Luck Stone Quarry in Virginia. "Blue lights are on! One of my favorite phrases signaling another customer site is using Caterpillar Inc.'s autonomous solution," Caterpillar Resource Industries Group President Denise Johnson penned in a LinkedIn post celebrating the debut of its newest class of Cat automated mining trucks at Luck Stone Corp.'s Bull Run aggregate plant in Virginia. The flashing blue lights sets...