$17M in funding supports innovation to bolster domestic resource recovery.

To address vulnerabilities in the global supply chain for critical materials, the U.S. Department of Energy is awarding $17 million for 14 projects aimed at advancing domestic production and recovery of essential resources needed for next-generation technologies.

Rising geopolitical tensions and tightening trade policies have exposed the fragility of global supply chains for critical materials such as gallium, germanium, and antimony, as highlighted by China's recent export bans on these essential resources.

These materials, which underpin technologies ranging from renewable energy and advanced electronics to military applications and critical infrastructure, have become a cornerstone of the United States' economic stability and national security.

Recognizing the dangers of this dependence, the federal government has launched strategic initiatives to bolster domestic production and reduce the risks associated with foreign reliance.

As part of its broader efforts to address supply chain vulnerabilities, the U.S. Department of Energy is investing $17 million to accelerate innovation in critical materials through 14 projects spanning 11 states; each focused on advancing domestic production, recovery, and sustainable use of resources essential for next-generation technologies.

"DOE is helping reduce the nation's dependence on foreign supply chains through innovative solutions that will tap domestic sources of the critical materials needed for next-generation technologies," said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm. "These investments – part of our industrial strategy – will keep America's growing manufacturing industry competitive while delivering economic benefits to communities nationwide."

These funded projects aim to strengthen and streamline manufacturing for high-impact components and technologies such as hydrogen fuel cells, high-performance lithium-ion batteries, magnets for high-efficiency motors, and high-yield, low-defect power electronics.

Coordinated through the DOE's Critical Materials Collaborative, these projects are designed to catalyze innovation by connecting research with industry and supporting advancements through every stage of the research, development, and demonstration pipeline.

Small-scale demonstrations focusing on materials like lithium, nickel, cobalt, rare earth elements, platinum group metals, silicon carbide, copper, and graphite aim to de-risk emerging technologies and accelerate their readiness for commercial adoption.

By supporting a diverse range of projects aimed at addressing critical material challenges, DOE is advancing innovation while laying the groundwork for a more secure and sustainable supply chain – a vision reflected in the variety of developments across the nation.

Funding the future

Announced under the Critical Materials Accelerator program, these projects aim to reduce environmental impacts, strengthen domestic supply chains, and support the development of a skilled manufacturing workforce; the recipients of the funding include:

Use magnets with reduced critical materials content:

• University of Texas at Arlington (Arlington, Texas) was awarded $1 million to scale up production of neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) magnets with reduced neodymium and praseodymium content, replacing them with more common rare earths cerium and lanthanum.

• Ames National Laboratory (Ames, Iowa) was awarded $1 million to prototype tough NdFeB magnets with enhanced mechanical strength, reducing waste during machining, and increasing recyclability.

• ABB, Inc. (Cary, North Carolina) was awarded $1.52 million to develop industrial motors using manganese-bismuth-based magnets, eliminating the need for rare earth elements while enhancing efficiency.

• Niron Magnetics, Inc. (Minneapolis, Minnesota) was awarded $2.7 million to advance the use of permanent magnets free of rare earths for motors and generators, targeting scalable solutions with high performance.

Improve unit operations of processing and manufacturing of critical materials:

• Free Form Fibers (Saratoga Springs, NY) was awarded $926,000 to create high-purity, low-defect silicon carbide for semiconductors using laser-driven chemical vapor deposition, reducing energy and environmental impacts.

• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Blacksburg, Virginia) was awarded $1 million to scale up gas-assisted microbubble extraction to recover critical materials like neodymium, dysprosium, and yttrium from acid mine drainage.

• University of North Dakota (Grand Forks, North Dakota) was awarded $1 million to develop silicon monoxide anode materials for lithium-ion batteries, utilizing silicon scrap and graphene coating to improve performance.

• Ames National Laboratory (Ames, Iowa) was awarded $1 million to optimize the production of cerium-based gap magnets for applications like drone motors and electric vehicles using a one-step casting process.

• Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Oak Ridge, Tennessee) was awarded $1 million to develop an integrated membrane solvent extraction process for high-purity rare earth recovery from mine tailings and waste streams.

• Summit Nanotech USA Corporation (Lafayette, Colorado) was awarded $1 million to enhance direct lithium extraction processes by recycling water through advanced electrochemical membrane separation, reducing environmental impact.

Recover critical material from scrap and post-consumer products:

• Texas Agricultural and Mechanical University (College Station, Texas) was awarded $1.28 million to develop a sustainable solid-phase extraction method for recovering rare earth elements like neodymium and dysprosium from e-waste using porous carbon foams.

• Infinite Elements (El Paso, Texas) was awarded $1.5 million to demonstrate biohydrometallurgical techniques to recover critical materials from e-waste with a 40% improvement in energy efficiency and reduced emissions.

Reduce critical material demand for clean energy technologies:

• Celadyne Technologies (Chicago, Illinois) was awarded $1 million to develop low-platinum and low-iridium membrane electrode assemblies for hydrogen electrolyzers, reducing critical material usage by over 70%.

• COnovate (Wauwatosa, Wisconsin) was awarded $1 million to validate a sustainable alternative to graphite anodes in lithium-ion batteries, improving energy density and performance while reducing critical material dependence.