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  • Artist vision of futuristic car with a graphene-enhanced composite body.

    Explosive interest in HydroGraph graphene

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Nov 25, 2024

    Global automobile, battery material, and supercapacitor manufacturers are exploring commercial uses for Kansas-made graphene. A flurry of partnerships and purchase orders announced last week by HydroGraph Clean Power Inc. demonstrates graphene's growing commercial applications in the automotive and green energy sectors, as well as the Kansas-based company's rising popularity as a supplier of this wonder material. Made from a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a... Full story

  • Rendering of a laser-triggered fusion reaction within a shielded space.

    Carbon fiber cathodes aid nuclear fusion

    K. Warner, Metal Tech News|Updated Nov 25, 2024

    Space-age cathodes have what it takes to power modular nuclear fusion reactors here on Earth. Carbon fiber cathodes were initially designed to withstand extreme conditions found in aerospace and defense applications. Now they may be a key ingredient in the next generation of plentiful and affordable clean energy. KULR, a provider of advanced thermal management solutions, recently announced the development of proprietary carbon fiber cathodes for a prominent nuclear fusion... Full story

  • Brilliant Earth sets net-zero gem targets

    K. Warner, Metal Tech News|Updated Nov 25, 2024

    Global leader in ethically sourced fine jewelry confirms official Science Based Targets initiative verification. The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) develops criteria with public consultation and global experts to develop standards for businesses, outlining what they need to do to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, and how quickly, to limit global temperature increases to less than 1.5 degrees Celsius and preventing the worst effects of climate change predicted by... Full story

  • Artist rendering of piles of rare earths with overlapping ReElement logo.

    ReElement, POSCO forge rare earth alliance

    K. Warner, Metal Tech News|Updated Nov 22, 2024

    Commercial partnership to close the loop on a circular North American rare earth magnet supply chain. ReElement Technologies Corp., a leading rare earth and critical battery element recycler, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with POSCO International, a global leader in steel production and advanced materials. This powerhouse team-up promises to supercharge the North American landscape of clean energy infrastructure, national security, and commercial... Full story

  • Black heat shielding on the Shuttle Endeavor’s nose and emergency exit.

    Sierra Space and DOE fireproof spaceflight

    K. Warner, Metal Tech News|Updated Nov 19, 2024

    Silicon-carbide exterior tiles for reusable commercial spacecraft withstand the fiery temperatures of traversing Earth's atmosphere. Leading commercial space and defense company Sierra Space announced the results of a collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to create new silicon-carbide-based exterior tiles – called a thermal protection system – for reusable commercial spacecraft. Atmospheric re-entry exposes a craft to bla... Full story

  • Artist rendering of silver nanospheres on a hexagonal grid of carbon.

    Unveiling the black art of silver catalysts

    K. Warner, Metal Tech News|Updated Nov 19, 2024

    Scientists discover why silver nanoparticles on carbon are 200 times more effective than their pure equivalents. Precious metals like silver, platinum, and palladium have acted as essential industry catalysts, their properties enabling unique chemical reactions quickly and efficiently. When in nanoparticle form and supported by a carbon base, the catalytic properties of these precious metals increase dramatically without science knowing why – until now. Researchers at TU W... Full story

  • Row of smoking industrial chimney stacks at a power station during sunset.

    Turn CO2 into ethanol using cobalt, copper

    K. Warner, Metal Tech News|Updated Nov 19, 2024

    Scientists have discovered a way to turn greenhouse gas into useful alcohol using a cobalt- and copper-coated electrode. As many global industrial processes continue to spill carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, the two key carbon-reduction approaches are an overhaul of conventional practices by adopting green technology that reduces emissions at the source and mechanically removing CO2 from the air. Circular systems that help create a market for this recaptured CO2 are needed... Full story

  • Sparks arc from molten steel being poured into a vat.

    Rio Tinto forges green steel partnership

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Nov 18, 2024

    Joins forces with GravitHy in to produce an ultra-low-carbon iron product for steelmaking. Continuing its global leadership in decarbonizing steelmaking, Rio Tinto is helping to accelerate GravithHy's project aimed at slashing ironmaking-related carbon dioxide emissions by more than 90%. From the humblest of paper clips to the tallest skyscrapers, steel forms the framework for modern living. The process of transforming raw iron ore into steel, however, is responsible for... Full story

  • 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... Full story

  • 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... Full story

  • 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... Full story

  • 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... Full story

  • Circuit board centered with a recycling symbol .

    E-waste: AI's environmental disaster?

    K. Warner, Metal Tech News|Updated Nov 5, 2024

    Studies show the advancement of generative AI will put a strain on the waste stream. Researchers from Cambridge University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences have published a paper in the journal Nature warning that the rapidly evolving technology of generative artificial intelligence (GAI) can lead to compounded amounts of e-waste equivalent to more than 10 billion iPhones per year by 2030. In 2022, 62 million metric tons of e-waste were produced worldwide, according to the... Full story

  • Artist's rendition of a painting being protected by graphene.

    Graphene: savior and protector of heritage

    K. Warner, Metal Tech News|Updated Nov 5, 2024

    Applications of graphene nanoparticles can strengthen materials, resist fungal growth, and block the harmful effects of light and moisture in art and artifacts. Even as contemporary art materials develop more archival and colorfast formulations, common environmental factors of light and moisture are unavoidable. Airborne chemical agents and the inevitable hazards of subtle wear and tear are the constant companions of archivists and restorers who look after the world's... Full story

  • A researcher with a ladle full of black pristine graphene.

    HydroGraph extends GEIC graphene partnership

    A.J. Roan, Metal Tech News|Updated Nov 5, 2024

    Collaboration aims to advance innovative applications of high-purity graphene. As the global demand for advanced nanomaterials continues to rise, HydroGraph Clean Power Inc. and the University of Manchester's Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC) are extending their partnership to further explore the capabilities of pristine graphene. This extended collaboration builds on a foundation first established in September 2023, when HydroGraph and GEIC embarked on a... Full story

  • Stacks of aluminum ingots bundled and wrapped for shipment.

    Project Pivot wins $3.8M for auto alloys

    A.J. Roan, Metal Tech News|Updated Nov 4, 2024

    Consortium secures UK funding to create low-carbon alloys using recycled aluminum strengthened by scandium. In a significant move toward sustainable automotive manufacturing, an industry consortium including Aston Martin, Boeing UK, and NioCorp Developments Ltd. has secured approximately $3.8 million in UK funding to develop lightweight aluminum alloys and cast components using recycled aluminum strengthened by scandium. This collaborative initiative, dubbed Project Pivot... Full story

  • 3D-printed nuclear component undergoing detailed CT X-ray inspection.

    Machine learning speeds nuclear inspections

    A.J. Roan, Metal Tech News|Updated Nov 4, 2024

    National Labs team up to improve efficiency, safety of 3D-printed nuclear components. To improve the efficiency of emerging nuclear technologies, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has developed a software algorithm that reduces inspection time for 3D-printed parts used in nuclear applications by 85%. This breakthrough, achieved through machine learning, paves the way for faster, safer, and more cost-effective innovation in nuclear energy. The adoption of 3D printing in the... Full story

  • Passengers on a Zero-G flight floating around the cabin.

    Missouri S&T, NASA test Moon-building tech

    A.J. Roan, Metal Tech News|Updated Nov 4, 2024

    Researchers prepare gravity simulations to test lunar soil separation. As part of a NASA-backed project to one day live on the Moon, Missouri University of Science and Technology researchers are gearing up to test a technology that aims to separate lunar soil for building materials under simulated lunar gravity. The team will use special Zero-G flights to see if their prototype can work in Moon-like conditions, bringing us one step closer to sustainable construction on the... Full story

  • Liebherr’s hydrogen-powered L 566 H loader shoveling gravel into a truck.

    Liebherr tests hydrogen-burning loader

    K. Warner, Metal Tech News|Updated Oct 30, 2024

    Heavy construction equipment powered by a modified combustion engine that burns hydrogen instead of diesel will be tested for two years in Austria. Construction and mining equipment giant Liebherr is working with STRABAG, the largest construction company in Austria, to pilot the world's first hydrogen-burning loader prototype in a two-year test project at STRABAG's Kanzelstein quarry. Liebherr's hydrogen-powered L 566 loader is serving as a proof-of-concept pilot for a loader... Full story

  • The periodic symbol for hydrogen over the Earth centered on the U.S. at night.

    Exploring Alaska for geological hydrogen

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Oct 28, 2024

    Granite Creek assembles the catalyst-rich projects, scientific expertise to become a first mover in the geological hydrogen space. A belt of rocks spanning the Southeast Alaska Panhandle hosts at least a dozen prospects and deposits enriched with nickel, copper, and platinum group metals (PGM) needed for the energy transition. Could these projects also host hidden stores of geological hydrogen that could offer a clean-burning fuel for the 21st century? Granite Creek Copper... Full story

  • Artist’s rendering of optimal ligand attachment on a surface of nanoplatelets.

    Nanotech to brighten TVs, improve solar

    K. Warner, Metal Tech News|Updated Oct 28, 2024

    Distinct particle shapes can regulate, improve performance in technologies that use light. Researchers at Curtin University have found that flat shapes in nanomaterials allow for improved molecular attachment – a discovery potentially leading to advancements in optoelectronics, which involve devices that either produce or use light to perform their functions. This includes a wide range of everyday technologies such as LEDs and TV screens, medical diagnostics and solar p... Full story

  • An image of a laser beam of light being converted into sound waves.

    Listening to light, sound to power tech

    A.J. Roan, Metal Tech News|Updated Oct 25, 2024

    Researchers merge light and sound on microchips, unlocking a new frontier in data processing, sensing, and communication. Microchips have always relied on electricity to process data, but what if they could harness sound instead? In a groundbreaking twist, researchers have managed to confine high-frequency sound waves to a chip's surface that ripple like a miniature earthquake – an unexpected breakthrough that could redefine everything from data processing to advanced sensing,... Full story

  • Molten iron poured from a crucible into a mold.

    Decarbonizing energy-intensive industries

    K. Warner, Metal Tech News|Updated Oct 21, 2024

    Global industry leaders meet in Australia to drive high-temperature processes emissions down to net zero. Industry experts worldwide are attending the High Temperature Minerals Processing (HiTeMP) Forum this week at the University of Adelaide in Australia to tackle the challenge of decarbonizing energy-intensive industries in an environment of cooperation and idea sharing. This fourth gathering of the Forum united stakeholders to share their latest developments and... Full story

  • The 1oz Lady of Liberty gold bar from Newmont and MKS PAMP.

    Blockchain gold coming to a Costco near you

    A.J. Roan, Metal Tech News|Updated Oct 18, 2024

    Newmont and MKS PAMP team up to offer gold with Provenance; blockchain technology for full transparency and traceability. In an unexpected move, gold is no longer just a commodity for specialized dealers – it's now hitting the shelves of America's largest wholesaler, as Newmont Corp. and MKS PAMP team up to bring traceable, responsibly sourced gold bars to everyday consumers, marking a bold shift in how gold is marketed and sold. As consumer demand for ethically sourced and t... Full story

  • A recycling symbol of direct air intakes, hydrogen molecules, carbon.

    A carbon-negative metals recycling plant

    K. Warner, Metal Tech News|Updated Oct 17, 2024

    Travertine Technologies partners with Sabin Metal to build a circular plant in New York that converts waste into valuable feedstock. In a project that will scale industrialized carbon capture technology to convert sulfate waste into valuable feedstock, Travertine Technologies has announced a partnership with Sabin Metal Corp., the largest independently owned precious metals refiner in North America, to build a demonstration plant with $10.7 million in financing that includes $... Full story

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