The Elements of Innovation Discovered
The Elements of Innovation Discovered
Working with automakers to develop stronger, lighter car parts Metal Tech News - September 28, 2023
Lightweight and durable aluminum-scandium auto parts could help extend the range and improve the performance of EVs.
NioCorp plans to offer a U.S. supply of aluminum-scandium master alloy for the auto sector.
One way to extend the range of an electric vehicle, or even get better gas mileage out of a conventional internal combustion automobile, is to lighten the load. NioCorp Developments Ltd. is working with automakers to develop strong and lightweight aluminum-scandium auto parts in the United States that will do just that.
NioCorp has been advancing a strategy to commercially produce aluminum-scandium master alloy, which only needs a small dose of scandium to bolster the strength and toughness of aluminum.
The company's Elk Creek critical minerals project in Nebraska hosts a rich store of scandium, alongside niobium, titanium, and rare earth elements.
A 2022 feasibility study outlines an underground mine at Elk Creek that would produce an estimated 170,409 metric tons of niobium, 431,793 metric tons of titanium, and 3,677 metric tons of scandium over 38 years of mining.
The feasibility study also confirms that Elk Creek hosts 632,900 metric tons of total rare earth oxides, and global automaker Stellantis has entered into a preliminary agreement to buy certain rare earths needed for EV motors from a future mine at Elk Creek.
Now, NioCorp says it is working with yet-to-be-named automakers to "develop aluminum-scandium vehicle parts that are stronger, lighter, higher-performing, and fully recyclable."
"Our planned scandium oxide and master alloy production could be large enough to enable manufacturers to supply aluminum-scandium alloy parts to electric and/or conventional vehicles," said NioCorp Developments CEO and Chairman Mark Smith.
In August, NioCorp announced that its aluminum-scandium master alloy development partner Nanoscale Powders LLC produced scandium metal at a pilot-scale facility in Pennsylvania.
"Our pilot-scale demonstration plant has produced scandium metal and is expected to produce test aluminum-scandium master alloy ingots, with a goal of producing 1-kilogram ingots at pilot scale," said Smith.
These aluminum-scandium alloy ingots will offer automakers with samples for testing.
"Our next step is to produce master alloy at the Commercial Demonstration level, scaling from 10 kg ingots to 100 kg ingots," the NioCorp CEO added. "Finally, once we secure sufficient financing to move to construction and eventual commercial operation, among other matters, we intend to move to full-scale production of master alloy."
In addition to automakers, NioCorp's plans to establish a domestic supply of scandium metal and alloys has drawn the attention of lawmakers on Capitol Hill seeking to steer America's dependence away from China and Russia for these materials critical to the nation's defense.
"Beyond the growth forecast for electric and hybrid vehicle sales, we anticipate additional demand coming from the defense sector, given scandium's ability to lightweight, strengthen, and improve corrosion resistance to land, air, space, and sea-based systems," Smith added.
The U.S., however, is 100% dependent on imports for scandium, which is produced primarily in China, Russia, and the Philippines.
In a recent report, the U.S. House Armed Services Committee said it "recognizes that China is a major producer of high-purity scandium oxide, which has many powerful applications in defense technologies, including strengthening and light-weighting defense and commercial aviation systems."
Aluminum-scandium alloy's capacity to increase the range and improve the performance of civilian and military EVs elevates the criticality of Elk Creek.
"This is one of the reasons the U.S. Government designated scandium as a critical mineral for the U.S. economy and national security and underscores the importance of getting multiple new, reliable sources of scandium supply for North America online as rapidly as possible," said Smith.
Toward this goal, NioCorp plans to incorporate the recovery of rare earths into an updated Elk Creek feasibility study later this year.
With more than 16 years of covering mining, Shane is renowned for his insights and and in-depth analysis of mining, mineral exploration and technology metals.
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