Chevron USA, a subsidiary of Chevron Corporation, has acquired two leasehold acreage positions in the lithium sector in the US. The first is from TerraVolta Resources, an investor of which is an affiliate of The Energy & Minerals Group (EMG), and the second is from East Texas Natural Resources (ETNR)... Read more →
Critical Metals has received a Letter of Interest from the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM), for a total non-dilutive funding package of $120 million. This funding package from the US’ official export credit agency is expected to be used to develop the Tanbreez Project, one of the world’s... Read more →
NEXEN TIRE recently signed a long-term supply agreement with LD Carbon Co., Ltd., a resource circulation and material recycling firm, for recovered carbon black (rCB). Through this partnership, NEXEN TIRE will use this collaboration to boost the adoption of sustainable materials. LD Carbon’s recovered carbon black is generated by pyrolyzing... Read more →
Constellium and TARMAC Aerosave, a specialist in aircraft & engine storage, maintenance, and eco-responsible dismantling, announced the successful recycling and remelting of aluminum from end-of-life aircraft into new, high-performance material suitable for future aerospace applications. This milestone highlights the potential of aluminum to support circular economy goals in aerospace, without... Read more →
BASF announced the successful startup of its new world-scale hexamethylenediamine (HMD) plant in Chalampé, France, construction of which began in 2022. The plant increases BASF’s annual HMD production capacity to 260,000 metric tons. HMD is a precursor used in the production of high-quality PA 6.6 polymers and coatings raw materials.... Read more →
Rio Tinto is investing CA$7.6 million in an industrial demonstration project to assess the integration of an ore sorting technology at its Lac Tio mine located in Havre-Saint-Pierre. The Government of Québec will contribute CA$2.5 million to this initiative through its Support Program for the Scale-up of Mineral Processing or... Read more →
Cyclic Materials, an advanced recycling company building a circular supply chain for rare earth elements (REEs), announced a US$25-million investment to launch North America’s first Center of Excellence for rare earth recycling in Kingston, Ontario, which will result in 45 new skilled jobs in the region. Spanning more than 140,000... Read more →
Volt Lithium, soon to become LibertyStream Infrastructure Partners pending shareholder approval, announced the upcoming final assembly and deployment of its proprietary mobile Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) unit in North Dakota’s Bakken region, with commissioning scheduled for the second half of June 2025. This initiative, in collaboration with Wellspring Hydro, is... Read more →
BASF, a global leader in the supply of additives to the coatings industry, has completed the transition to bio-based Ethyl Acrylate (EA) for its Rheovis range manufactured at Ludwigshafen and Bradford sites. Now, the Rheovis range has a 14C-traceable biogenic content of up to 35% according to the ASTM D6866-18... Read more →
Power Metals Corp, a Canadian exploration company focused on developing high-quality critical mineral projects, announced the maiden National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101) compliant Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) for the Case Lake Cesium Project located in northeastern Ontario. The consolidated in-pit MRE, reported in the Inferred category, comprises 13,000 tonnes grading... Read more →
Continental is integrating even more renewable and recycled materials into its tire production. While the share averaged 26% in 2024, the tire manufacturer expects this figure to increase by 2-3 percentage points in 2025. This increase is due to the use of synthetic rubber obtained from renewable or circular oil,... Read more →
As Toshiba Corporation readies to start sample shipments of its latest innovation in lithium-ion batteries, the SCiB Nb, in June 2025, a battery that will advance the electrification of buses, trucks and other commercial e-vehicles where high operating rates are essential, it is offering potential users the opportunity to evaluate... Read more →
BASF has successfully started the commercial operation of its Black Mass plant in Schwarzheide, Germany. This facility represents a significant milestone for BASF’s battery recycling business. It is one of the biggest commercial Black Mass plants in Europe, with an annual processing capacity of up to 15,000 tons of end-of-life... Read more →
BASF is now complementing its polyphthalamide (PPA) portfolio by Ultramid Advanced N3U42G6, a polyamide 9T with non-halogenated flame-retardant, which minimizes electro-corrosion of metal contacts in electric and electronics (E&E) parts for e-mobility. The PPA increases the safety and durability of high-voltage (HV) connectors in e.g. inverters, DC-DC converters and batteries... Read more →
Magrathea launched its next-generation magnesium chloride electrolyzer, a machine that uses electricity to split magnesium salts to make magnesium metal, at its pilot facility in Oakland, California. This marks a crucial step to advance the technical and data framework for a future scaled plant. Additionally, the project strategically positions Magrathea’s... Read more →
Global demand for lithium is set to grow rapidly over the next 25 years. A new analysis from the University of California, Davis looks at how new mining operations and battery recycling could meet that demand. Recycling could play a big role in easing supply constraints, the researchers found. Lithium... Read more →
Global cathode active material (CAM) production capacity is set to grow 178% between 2024 and 2030, as assessed by Benchmark. The bulk of this capacity is in China, with the country accounting for 87% of capacity in 2024, falling slightly to 84% by 2030. In China, the predominant cathode chemistry... Read more →
Cyclic Materials and Lime, the world's largest provider of shared micromobility electric vehicles, are partnering to recycle magnets from retired electric motors powering e-bikes and e-scooters across Canada and the United States. The agreement marks the first at-scale recycling initiative focused on rare earth magnets in North America in the... Read more →
The world can mine copper to fuel the green energy transition or it can mine copper to build the infrastructure of developing countries—but it will be extraordinarily difficult to do both, according to a University of Michigan study. The research, co-led by Adam Simon, U-M professor of earth and environmental... Read more →
Separating crude oil into products such as gasoline, diesel, and heating oil is an energy-intensive process that accounts for about 6% of the world’s CO2 emissions. Most of that energy goes into the heat needed to separate the components by their boiling point. In an advance that could significantly reduce... Read more →
Rio Tinto has been confirmed as the preferred partner for the Salares Altoandinos lithium project in the Atacama region of Chile by Empresa Nacional de Minería (ENAMI), a state-owned Chilean mining company. Under the terms of the proposal, Rio Tinto would acquire an initial 51% stake in the project with... Read more →
Rio Tinto will begin early works and conduct final engineering studies to increase production capacity at the Amrun bauxite mine on Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland, aiming for first output as early as 2029. The project, named Kangwinan at the request of Traditional Owners, the Wik Waya people,... Read more →
China has a major role at each stage of the global battery supply chain and dominates interregional trade of minerals, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). China imported almost 12 million short tons of raw and processed battery minerals, accounting for 44% of interregional trade, and exported almost... Read more →
Acknowledging the ever-increasing demand for copper and the industry’s need for sustainable and resource-efficient processing, BASF is announcing a strategic shift in its copper hydrometallurgy business. In addition to advancing the LixTRA product line, BASF will intensify its efforts in developing the next-generation of leaching aids with enhanced efficiency. BASF’s... Read more →
Rio Tinto and Corporación Nacional Del Cobre de Chile (Codelco) have signed binding agreements to form a joint venture to develop and operate a high-grade lithium project in the Salar de Maricunga in Chile. The agreement is the next step in a broader strategic partnership to strengthen both Rio Tinto’s... Read more →
Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Maaden), one of the world’s fastest growing mining companies, has signed an agreement with MP Materials Corp, the American fully integrated rare earth producer, to explore opportunities to establish a fully integrated, end-to-end rare earth supply chain. Maaden and MP Materials will explore opportunities jointly to... Read more →
FUCHS Lubricants, the world’s largest independent lubricant supplier launched RENOLIT CX SWG 0-1, a sustainable, next-generation calcium grease specifically engineered for automotive gears, including electric power steering systems. This product is both PFAS and lithium-free. RENOLIT CX SWG 0-1 represents an advancement in sustainable lubrication, and meets the most stringent... Read more →
General Motors and LG Energy Solution will commercialize lithium manganese-rich (LMR) prismatic battery cells for future GM electric trucks and full-size SUVs, in a new battery technology breakthrough. This builds on a partnership between the two companies to develop prismatic battery cell technology and related chemistries. GM aims to become... Read more →
BASF and Group14 Technologies announced a market-ready, performance-improving silicon battery solution using commercially available materials: BASF’s Licity 2698 X F binder, and Group14’s advanced silicon battery material, SCC55. BASF and Group14 developed a drop-in-ready solution that greatly enhances the performance of batteries with silicon-dominant anodes, delivering faster charging, higher energy... Read more →
As part of a larger set of operational changes, Cleveland-Cliffs said that it will no longer be deploying capital toward the development of a transformer production plant in Weirton, West Virginia (earlier post), due to changes in scope from the project partner that no longer meet Cliffs’s investment requirements. Last... Read more →
Rio Tinto and Sumitomo Metal Mining Co (SMM) have signed the final joint venture agreements to deliver the Winu copper-gold project, located in the Great Sandy Desert region of Western Australia. The Winu project is an attractive low-risk, long-life copper-gold deposit discovered by Rio Tinto in 2017. It is considered... Read more →
The US Geological Survey (USGS) has invited states to compete for $5 million in cooperative agreements to find critical minerals needed to drive the US economy in the materials left over from mining at active and legacy sites. The USGS is partnering with state geological surveys to modernize our understanding... Read more →
The Metallurgical Engineering Trades Apprenticeship & Learning (METAL) program announced a new partnership with Michigan Technological University (MTU) to enhance and scale up industry-driven training opportunities for current and prospective metalworking and manufacturing professionals. Led by IACMI (The Composites Institute) with funding from the Department of Defense’s Industrial Base Analysis... Read more →
NEXEN TIRE signed a long-term supply agreement with LD Carbon Co., Ltd., a resource circulation and material recycling firm, for recovered carbon black (rCB). NEXEN TIRE will use this collaboration to boost the adoption of sustainable materials. LD Carbon’s recovered carbon black is generated by pyrolyzing end-of-life tires in an... Read more →
Rio Tinto and its new partner Indium Corporation have successfully extracted the first primary gallium as part of a research and development project, which ultimately aims to produce commercial quantities of the critical and strategic mineral present in the bauxite processed in Rio Tinto’s Vaudreuil alumina refinery in Quebec, the... Read more →
The Nikkei reports that prices of rare-earth metals have reached record highs in the weeks since China clamped down on exports of the key materials used in electric vehicles, wind turbines and other items. The price of dysprosium in Europe—the benchmark for the material outside China—tripled from the start of... Read more →
Aclara Resources announced the official inauguration of its semi-industrial heavy rare earths pilot plant facility in Aparecida de Goiania, Goias, Brazil. The main products from this pilot plant are dysprosium and terbium, which, along with other heavy and light rare earths, will be contained in the carbonate produced by the... Read more →
Xerion Advanced Battery Corp., a developer and manufacturer of next-generation battery components and critical minerals, announced a new one-step cobalt refinement process, as well as the launch of a pilot-scale production line at its Dayton, Ohio manufacturing facility. Xerion’s proprietary DirectPlate Molten Salt Electrolysis (MSE) technology, originally developed for the... Read more →
US President Donald Trump issued a new Executive Order (EO) expediting the process of exploring and mining for valuable minerals found on the deep ocean seafloor, in both US and international waters. According to the EO, is the policy of the United States to advance United States leadership in seabed... Read more →
QuantumScape Corporation, a developer of next-generation solid-state lithium-metal battery technology, and Murata Manufacturing Co. have entered into the first phase of an agreement to explore a collaboration for high-volume manufacturing of ceramic film for QS’ solid-state battery technology. Murata Manufacturing Co. is a worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and... Read more →
Cyclic Materials, a Canada-based advanced recycling company creating a circular supply chain for rare earth elements (REEs) and other critical materials, has invested more than USD $20M in its first commercial facility, located in Mesa, Arizona. The new state-of-the-art facility will be the company’s first global REE recycling operation focused... Read more →
In the newly updated market report “Li-ion Battery Recycling Market 2025-2045: Markets, Forecasts, Technologies, and Players”, IDTechEx forecasts the Li-ion battery (LIB) recycling market to grow to US$52 billion in value by 2045, given the increasing availability of retired Li-ion batteries over the coming decades. Key sources of feedstock will... Read more →
President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order launching an investigation into the national security risks posed by US reliance on imported processed critical minerals and their derivative products. The Order directs the Secretary of Commerce to initiate a Section 232 investigation under the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 to... Read more →
Rio Tinto and AMG Metals & Materials (AMG M&M), an energy transition solutions provider, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to assess jointly the feasibility of developing an integrated low-carbon aluminum project powered by renewable energy in India. AMG M&M is promoted by the two founders of Greenko and... Read more →
Continental has extended its project to enhance sustainability in smallholder natural rubber cultivation with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH by three years. Since 2018, around 5,000 local smallholders in West Kalimantan, Borneo, Indonesia, have already been trained to cultivate high-quality natural rubber in line with clearly defined... Read more →
Polestar’s fourth Annual Sustainability report announces significant GHG reductions, updates on the Polestar 0 project and a continued quest for increased transparency and more sustainable materials. Since the company started measuring in 2020, Polestar has reduced its carbon footprint per sold car by 24.7%. The most significant contributing factors to... Read more →
A team led by researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has shown that vapor from lithium oxide (Li2O) sublimation accelerates a chemical reaction that forms single crystals when mixed with nickel-rich precursors. The sublimation happens at just one atmosphere of pressure. Single-crystal battery materials are thought to help batteries... Read more →
BASF’s Cellasto, a global provider of Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH) components, is investing roughly €60 million to establish a second plant in Shanghai, China. This production expansion aims to capitalize on China’s booming electric vehicle market. The new facility will feature advanced mold lines, resulting in a capacity increase... Read more →
Freudenberg offers an optimized sealing material for e-mobility applications as an alternative to PFAS-containing thermoplastic and FKM seals. This new material series is processed by injection molding, delivers superior sealing performance, ensures battery life and meets increasingly stringent environmental regulations. In the rapidly growing electric vehicle market, improved battery performance... Read more →
Primetals Technologies, together with its strategic partner Mitsubishi Corporation (earlier post)), Rio Tinto, and globally leading steel and technology group voestalpine, signed a cooperation agreement to fast-track the development of fluidised bed and smelter technologies. The participants will implement and operate an industrial-scale prototype plant featuring a new process for... Read more →