The Elements of Innovation Discovered

Articles from the January 18, 2023 edition


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  • A metallic cube of the periodic table symbol and information for manganese.

    Stellantis secures manganese supply

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jun 8, 2023

    Enters deal with Element 25 for battery-grade manganese from Australia mine. In a move to secure an oft overlooked lithium-ion battery ingredient, Stellantis has cut a deal with Australia-based Element 25 Ltd. to supply a high-purity manganese product that the global automaker needs for the battery packs that power its growing line of electric vehicles. Element 25 plans to mine manganese from its Butcherbird deposit in Western Australia and ship a concentrate to a processing...

  • A conveyor belt transports ore to the surface at an underground mine.

    Storing renewable energy in old mines

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Apr 16, 2023

    Can old mines be repurposed as giant batteries for cost-effective and long-term storage of renewable energy? A peer-reviewed paper by a team of researchers led by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) makes a compelling case for underground gravity energy storage systems that do just that. Matching electrical generation capacity with consumer demand is key to transitioning to a sustainable low-carbon energy future. This has been a longtime problem...

  • Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivers a speech at Vitals’ REE plant.

    Trudeau tours Vital rare earths plant

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Mar 3, 2023

    In a show of support for Canadian production of the minerals critical to clean energy technologies, Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited Vital Metals Ltd.'s rare earth processing facility in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. "The world wants clean technology, and Canada has the resources, the expertise, and the skilled workers to meet that demand," Trudeau said during his Jan. 16 stop in Saskatchewan. "By developing and processing our critical minerals here in Canada – the f...

  • A worker holds a handful of battery metal scrap for recycling.

    RecycLiCo battery cathode material shines

    A.J. Roan, Metal Tech News|Updated Jan 25, 2023

    Shortly after signing a memorandum of understanding with Korean electronics manufacturer Sonid Inc., RecycLiCo Battery Materials Inc. announced that a Korean manufacturer used cathode material upcycled with the RecycLiCo to create battery cells that are comparable to those made with virgin cathode materials. According to RecycLiCo, the unnamed Korean cathode manufacturer reported that the battery cells using its recycling-upcycled nickel-manganese-cobalt oxide (NMC811)...

  • A battery pouch made from lithium-sulfide solid-state chemistries.

    Solid Power awarded $5.6M DOE funding

    A.J. Roan, Metal Tech News|Updated Jan 24, 2023

    Seeking to achieve the next echelon of battery, Solid Power announced it has been awarded US$5.6 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy to continue developing its ground-breaking solid-state battery technology, which could significantly help lower the price of batteries across the board. Spun out of a program at the University of Colorado in 2011, Solid Power is a U.S.-based battery developer that specializes in solid-state, sulfide-based electrolyte technology...

  • White hill of lithium-boron in the southwest Nevada desert.

    DOE commits $700M for Rhyolite Ridge

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jan 21, 2023

    Conditional loan signals a major step forward for ioneer's planned lithium-boron mine in Nevada. As part of the Biden administration's ongoing effort to support projects that will provide a domestic supply of the minerals and metals critical to America's transition to clean energy and transportation, the U.S. Department of Energy has committed to loaning ioneer Ltd. up to $700 million to develop the Rhyolite Ridge lithium-boron project in Nevada. "Rhyolite Ridge is a major...