The Elements of Innovation Discovered
The Elements of Innovation Discovered
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Volkswagen's PowerCo and QuantumScape face challenges in the quest to mass-produce solid-state batteries. Solid-state battery technology is poised to revolutionize the green energy storage landscape, particularly in the electric vehicle market. In a move to advance this innovation, Volkswagen Group's battery company PowerCo and QuantumScape have entered into a groundbreaking agreement to commercialize QuantumScape's next-generation solid-state lithium-metal battery technology....
Breakthrough technique at NC State creates flexible, nanoscale, transparent circuits using printed metal oxides. Imagine printing transparent circuits at room temperature – no heat, no fancy equipment – just a trail of liquid metal creating a conductive masterpiece. In a breakthrough that feels too simple to be true, scientists have cracked the code on how to print metal oxide films that are both transparent and incredibly durable, opening the door to flexible, high-performanc...
Space mining could provide rare earths, iron, hydrogen, and other in-situ resources for lunar and Martian outposts. The most expensive aspect of space exploration comes in the form of moving payloads. Every ounce on a rocket requires a fuel increase, resupply missions are expensive, and as astronaut crews – human or robotic – become more independent of Earth, long-term missions become increasingly feasible. Future astronauts will need to collect and process ext...
Funds will take advantage of prolific rare earths and encourage domestic processing. Mineral exploration continues to play an integral role in shaping the economy of Saskatchewan, a province that hosts 27 out of 34 minerals deemed critical by the Canadian government, from potash to uranium. The Canadian Prairie province is now positioning itself as a key producer of rare earth elements (REE). In that vein, Canada Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson rece...
Chilean copper miner leverages ABB's global automation and electrification expertise to power its net-zero goals. Toward an overarching goal to "develop mining for a better future," Antofagasta Minerals is collaborating with ABB to implement net-zero emissions haulage solutions at its copper mines in Chile. Antofagasta's four mines produced 715,000 metric tons (146.3 million pounds) of copper last year, making it the fifth largest producer of this metal critical to energy...
Brings its recycling technology to U.K.'s leading integrated vehicle salvage and recycling firm. As part of its strategy to advance sustainable recycling practices, Cyclic Materials has signed a collaboration agreement with SYNETIQ, the U.K.'s leading vehicle salvage and recycling company, to recover rare earth elements from electric and hybrid vehicle motors. "This relationship marks Cyclic Materials first overseas feedstock contract, a significant milestone as we continue...
ISS researchers mix together simulated lunar soil, cement, and water to determine microgravity effects. As NASA eyes the Moon for future habitation, an astronaut aboard the International Space Station is already busy mixing the cement, unraveling the mysteries of its hardening process in microgravity. This critical step could determine how we build resilient structures on the Moon and Mars, inching us closer to a permanent human outpost beyond Earth. Building a permanent...
Tested on the racetrack, this clean-burning fuel offers an alternative to EVs for zero-carbon emissions transportation. With the automotive industry headed toward greener transportation, electric vehicles have been the face of the shift. Meanwhile, another promising clean technology is quietly coming to the fore – hydrogen. A future in which hydrogen vehicles share the road seems increasingly possible as numerous established automakers such as BMW, Toyota, Hyundai, Honda, a...
Global electrification and equipment companies join forces to develop zero-emission solutions for mining. To accelerate the development of technologies that will help global mining companies achieve their climate goals, ABB and Komatsu are collaborating on the development of technologies to reduce and eventually eliminate the need for diesel to fuel the heavy machinery that does the digging and hauling at mines around the world. Under a strategic agreement, ABB and Komatsu...
Refines process toward commercial development with planned advancements and pilot plant. Marking a significant step forward in energy storage technology, Graphene Manufacturing Group Ltd. revealed the latest progress in developing graphene-aluminum-ion batteries, highlighting the company's success in optimizing performance and pushing the boundaries of current battery capabilities. Based out of Australia, GMG has been pioneering advancements in graphene-aluminum battery...
Florida State University scientists study quantum properties of cesium-vanadium-antimonide. In quantum physics, the name Kagome, an ancient design seen in traditional Japanese basket-weaving, has been borrowed by scientists to describe a class of ferromagnetic quantum materials with an atomic structure closely resembling this distinctive lattice pattern. A new Florida State University (FSU) study published in Nature Communications focuses on how a particular Kagome metal...
Based on new simulations, a team of geoscientists suspects Mercury may have a 10-mile-thick layer of diamonds buried beneath its graphite grey surface. While we can't yet go digging to prove it, a new study reveals the likely presence of a layer of diamond nearly ten miles thick at the boundary between Mercury's core and mantle. When viewed by spacecraft from 2011 to 2015, Mercury appeared exceptionally grey due to the high concentrations of graphite, which is pure carbon, on...
Carnegie Science researchers postulate complexity of matter, living or non-living, evolves over time. In a revelation that challenges our understanding of the universe, researchers from Carnegie Science have discovered that minerals may evolve much the same way living organisms do, suggesting that the principles of evolution extend beyond biology, potentially reshaping our perspective on the natural world. This groundbreaking study, published in the journal PNAS Nexus, offers...
Bronze Age firebricks may present an inexpensive solution to energy storage for modern industrial processes. Scientists and early man have something in common when it comes to energy storage: the heat-absorbing bricks used to line primitive kilns and iron-making furnaces thousands of years ago may help store intermittent power from renewables to switch over to green energy sooner – and for a trillion dollars less – according to recent Stanford-led research published in PNA...
NASA rovers looking for evidence of life make surprising revelations for the future of space mining as well. In the last two months of an ongoing search for signs of ancient life on Mars, NASA's Perseverance and Curiosity have been wheeling around the red planet looking for rocks that may have been created or modified long ago by the presence of water and microbial life. Meanwhile, a rich volcanic history may produce other treasures as well. A vein of spotted rocks nicknamed...
Deepens partnership with Aymium to produce renewable biocarbon at new facility toward the reduction of carbon emissions in metal smelting operations. In an ambitious move toward sustainable industrial practices, Rio Tinto and Aymium have partnered to create Évolys Québec Inc., a joint venture focused on producing renewable metallurgical biocarbon as an alternative to traditional carbon sources used in metal smelting processes. In 2022, Rio Tinto, Steel Dynamics, and Nippon S...
Scientists have already found several revelations studying material from the asteroid sample brought back to Earth by the OSIRIS-REx mission. Launched back in 2016, a spacecraft traveled to near-Earth asteroid Bennu and collected a large sample of rocks and dust from the surface. This first U.S. mission to collect a sample directly from an asteroid delivered its payload back to Earth on Sept. 24, 2023. At last, early analysis of the sample of asteroid Bennu returned by NASA's...
Decades-old theory proved possible as QuTech's "somersaulting" spin qubits simplify control, paving way for scalable quantum computing. Researchers at QuTech have taken a giant leap in quantum computing with the development of "somersaulting" spin qubits, an innovation that simplifies and enhances control of this advanced technology and marks a breakthrough that could revolutionize the construction of powerful quantum processors. Quantum computing, unlike classical computing,...
Curiosity rover cracks open a rock with yellow sulfur crystals, an unexpected find that poses new questions for earthbound scientists. While exploring a region of the Martian landscape that has all the telltale signs of ancient floods and landslides that occurred when Mars' climate was much more like Earth than the frozen desert it is today, NASA's Curiosity made a surprising discovery – the first ever pure sulfur ever discovered on the Red Planet. This Martian minerals d...
USGS study brings to light seismic risks to mineral supplies, as powerful earthquake hits Chile's copper and lithium region. On the same day that the United States Geological Survey released a study warning of seismic risks to global mineral supplies, a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck near Chile's Escondida mine, the world's largest copper mine. This confirms the vulnerability of these resources to earthquakes, emphasizing the potential for significant supply chain...
Westwater will deliver graphite anode material to Fiat Chrystler Automobiles' battery partners. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), a leading electric vehicle manufacturer and part of the Stellantis group of companies, has entered into an offtake agreement for battery-grade graphite produced by Westwater Resources Inc. in Alabama. Stellantis – the world's fourth-largest automaker by sales in 2023, behind Toyota, Volkswagen Group, and Hyundai Motor Group – designs, man...
$14 million initiative will establish more than 1,000 collection points for recycling batteries and electronic devices across the U.S. In an effort to enhance the sustainability of domestic supply chains and reduce e-waste, the U.S. Department of Energy has launched a $14 million initiative to establish more than 1,000 battery recycling collection points for used batteries at Batteries Plus and Staples stores across the nation. "At DOE we're excited to help create a circular,...
Safety concerns after recent battery fires encourage transparency from automakers. Following several recent publicized incidents of electric vehicles catching fire in South Korea, Hyundai Motors will be the first to reveal a list of the battery makers used in its 13 EV models, with Kia to follow suit. At the top of these headline-grabbing stories was a parked Mercedes-Benz EV that caught fire below a residential building in Incheon, South Korea. The fire caused a prolonged...
Researchers develop scalable, reusable filter that removes 75% of forever chemicals from water. A team from the University of Bath in the United Kingdom has developed 3D-printed indium oxide lattice filters that remove up to 75% of one of the most common persistent chemical contaminants on the planet from water – PFAS. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of manmade chemicals developed in the 1940s to make products that resist water, oil and grease, heat a...
U.S. Department of Energy plans a Low-Carbon Cement and Concrete Center of Excellence to reduce industrial emissions. In its continued mission to help the U.S. reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, the U.S. Department of Energy's Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office (IEDO) is creating a Cement and Concrete Center of Excellence to accelerate the development and adoption of novel low-carbon cement and concrete technologies. Up to $9 million for national labs to...
