The Elements of Innovation Discovered

Articles from the September 20, 2023 edition


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  • A lump of lithium-ion battery scrap to be processed by BASF and TODA.

    ABTC joins BASF closed-loop battery team

    A.J. Roan, Metal Tech News|Updated Oct 3, 2023

    With significant funding from the Department of Energy toward its Tonopah Flats lithium project, visits from representatives from the White House, and a partnership with TechMet-Mercuria, American Battery Technology Company has added yet another milestone to its skyrocketing success – a new agreement with German chemical giant BASF to develop a regional closed-loop solution for lithium-ion battery recycling for the North American market. "The establishment of a true closed-loo...

  • Researcher inspects strings wicking lithium and salts from a beaker of brine.

    Lithium string theory is elegant solution

    K. Warner, For Metal Tech News|Updated Oct 3, 2023

    May be the tech for unifying green energy future and the not-so-often green methods of producing lithium. Researchers at Princeton have developed a surprisingly efficient and environmentally friendly method of extracting lithium from brines and seawater using specialized string. While technologies such as direct extraction from lithium-rich geothermal waters is shaping up to be a way to produce the silvery-white critical mineral necessary for rechargeable batteries without...

  • Three battery-electric heavy equipment vehicles by Epiroc.

    Epiroc seeks to elevate mining autonomy

    A.J. Roan, Metal Tech News|Updated Oct 3, 2023

    Collabs with academia, tech firm, with funding from government for future safe, smart vehicles. With 150 years of experience in all things mining, Sweden-based Epiroc has unveiled its next generation in mineral extraction, which will leverage the power of artificial intelligence to make its mining vehicles more autonomous through a new collaborative project called the Realistic Navigation Assistance and Machine Control, or ReNAM. Funded by Swedish government innovation agency...

  • A sunny day over Glencore’s Portovesme metallurgical complex.

    Italy's Li-Cycle recycling hub is on track

    A.J. Roan, Metal Tech News|Updated Sep 27, 2023

    After announcing its plans for a recycling hub in Portovesme, Italy, through a partnership with Glencore, Li-Cycle Holdings Corp. has followed up with the steps needed to begin establishing a centralized locale for battery recycling in Europe's Bel Paese. "The planned Portovesme Hub is a landmark project for Europe's battery recycling industry and is expected to be the largest source of recycled battery-grade lithium on the continent," said Li-Cycle Executive Chair Tim...

  • View over water storage tank toward the desert mining town of Superior, Ariz.

    US mining impacted by water shortages

    K. Warner, For Metal Tech News|Updated Sep 27, 2023

    Mining – especially regarding copper, lithium, and other critical minerals – is one of the most water-intensive industries, and the sector is facing increased operational risks, including community competition for supply. With rising scarcity, industrial utilization of water is typically the first to be constrained, as with the shutdown of aluminum processing in São Paulo, Brazil, during the record-setting 2014–2017 drought. Investor scrutiny of water stewardship has since...

  • A soldier launches a small, winged Raven drone during tactical training.

    Pentagon pulls US battery supply chain

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Sep 26, 2023

    Invests $30 million in energy storage systems campus; is aligning military and private sector buying power to speed technology transition in US. The U.S. Department of Defense is investing $30 million to establish an energy storage systems campus that will serve as the headquarters for a U.S. military-private sector alliance to accelerate the transition to next-generation batteries powering everything from smartphones and household appliances to electric vehicles and military...

  • An EV plugged into a battery charger on a sunny day.

    DOE invests $16M in solid battery tech

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Sep 22, 2023

    To accelerate the commercialization of solid-state battery tech for EVs; redox flow batteries for grid-scale renewable energy storage. To speed the commercialization of emerging battery technologies, the U.S. Department of Energy is investing $11 million into solid-state batteries that promise to extend the range and reduce the fire risk of electric vehicles, and $5 million into flow batteries that can serve as a buffer between intermittent renewable power sources and...

  • Hummer EV military prototype charging through mud.

    DOD invests $110.6M in battery projects

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Sep 22, 2023

    Grants DPA Title III funds to support Albemarle lithium, Tamarack nickel projects in the US. Continuing its mission to establish domestic lithium-ion battery supply chains, the U.S. Department of Defense is investing more than $110 million to support lithium and nickel projects in the United States. The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Industrial Base Policy, through its Manufacturing Capability Expansion and Investment Prioritization (MCEIP), announced on Sept. 12 that...