Week of April 24, 2024
Researcher Lana Alagha received $875,000 from Rio Tinto to explore gallium and germanium recovery from copper waste streams. In a landmark development for critical minerals recovery, global mining company Rio Tinto has granted Missouri University of Science and Technology professor Lana Alagha $875,000 for a two-year project that seeks to pioneer novel techniques for extracting the highly sought after critical minerals gallium and germanium from waste generated in copper...
Hypervine launches a service that allows users to receive unlimited satellite surveys and reports for a low monthly fee. From gaining a detailed overhead view of the predevelopment landscape to grabbing a snapshot of current conditions and monitoring changes over time, satellite imagery is revolutionizing the planning and operations of modern mines. However, the cost for a satellite to take a snapshot of a mine can be high, and many traditional technologies cannot image the...
You won't find many miners on TIME and Statista's inaugural list of 250 companies reducing environmental impact, but one green mining tech company has arrived. Sailing in alongside several hydrogen producers as one of America's top green-tech companies of 2024, deep-sea mining firm Impossible Metals is one of the rare few resource-related organizations to be granted the honor. This year, TIME launched its inaugural list of America's Top GreenTech Companies from an intensive...
Zero-carbon underground mines of the future take step closer to reality with first electric truck trolley system. Boliden, Epiroc, and ABB are each known for pushing the envelope of mining innovation and electrification. Now, these companies have pooled their expertise into installing the first fully battery-electric truck underground trolley system on an 800-meter-long test track within Boliden's Kristineberg mine in northern Sweden. "Over the past three years, we have...
The Metals Company and SGS have produced nickel from harvested polymetallic nodules. As part of The Metals Company's (TMC) pilot-scale processing, the world's first nickel sulfate has been produced from polymetallic nodules harvested from the seabed, further solidifying the resource's promise for battery markets. "The production of the world's first nickel sulfate from deep-seafloor nodules is an important milestone, confirming that our custom flowsheet configuration can be...
Rio Tinto invests in tech startups, partners with Founders Factory to help establish Western Australia as Silicon Valley of mining tech. Global mining company Rio Tinto has teamed up with world-leading venture studio and start-up investor Founders Factory to help establish the city of Perth on Australia's west coast as the Silicon Valley of mining technologies. As the capital of Western Australia, one of the most productive and diversified mining regions in the world, Perth...
Joining the family of monoelemental crystals first set forth by graphene, Swedish researchers successfully develop the first one-atom-thick metal from gold. Meet goldene, the latest addition to the family of xenes – a remarkable lineage of monoelemental crystals that began with graphene. Like its carbon cousin, gold was synthesized down to a thickness of one atom, which now boasts the distinction as the world's thinnest gold leaf. Since the pioneering discovery of...
Dods’ “Vital but Vulnerable: UK Critical Minerals Policy” report cautions that more needs to be done. Dods Political Intelligence, an advisory service, has published a report to provide context and evaluation of current critical mineral policies in the United Kingdom. These are increasingly crucial for contemporary defense manufacturing, which acts as a deterrent against conflict. Meanwhile, global economies in a rush to transition to green industries are going to...
Canadian province signs strategic minerals partnership with France; Saskatchewan Research Council secures rare earths feedstock for Saskatoon processing plant. Saskatchewan's strategy to become a North American hub for the minerals and metals critical to clean energy and other future-leaning technologies was bolstered by two agreements signed on Monday. The first agreement was a letter of intent signed with France to explore, develop, and cooperate on new strategic mineral...
BLM completes draft EIS for Rhyolite Ridge, closing in on final federal permitting decision for energy transition metals mine. Marking a major milestone on the path toward a domestic supply of lithium for nearly 370,000 electric vehicles per year, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management has finalized a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for developing a mine at Ioneer Ltd.'s Rhyolite Ridge lithium-boron project in Nevada. "This news sets a clear path forward to...
Company signs agreement with Khalifa University of Science and Technology to advance graphene in various sectors. What started as an explosive discovery of graphene production has led to HydroGraph Clean Power Inc.'s development of graphene-enhanced electromagnetic shielding and biomedical sensors for the early detection of cancer. Now, the innovative graphene company has signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate with Khalifa University of Science and Technology on...
Belgian precious metals recycler Umicore unveils Nexyclus certifications, a green guarantee at every step of its process. Leveraging the might of its precious metals refining and jewelry and industrial metals capabilities, Umicore SA has launched Nexyclus to address resource scarcity and the increased demand for recycled, responsibly sourced and low-carbon metals. Based out of Belgium, Umicore is a multinational materials technology firm that was formed through the merger of...
