Metals Tech

Stellantis announced it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with hydrometallurgical metal recovery expert Orano, to establish a joint venture focused on recycling end-of-life EV batteries and production waste materials from its plants around the world. Stellantis remains a globally recognized automotive conglomerate with several marques under its umbrella that are now transitioning into […]

It’s viable to produce low-cost, lightweight solar panels that can generate energy in space, according to new research from the Universities of Surrey and Swansea. The first study of its kind followed a satellite over six years, observing how the panels generated power and weathered solar radiation over 30,000 orbits. The findings, published in the journal Acta Astronautica, […]

Imagine a stretchable and durable sensor patch for monitoring the rehabilitation of patients with elbow or knee injuries, or an unbreakable and reliable wearable device that measures a runner’s cardiac activities during training to prevent life-threatening injuries. Disruptive innovations in wearable technology are often limited by the electronic circuits—which are usually made of conductive metals that are […]

University of Birmingham researchers have announced a new approach for recycling the highest value component of end-of-life electric car batteries, the battery cathode, that is less energy-intensive and uses less hazardous chemicals than current recycling methods. Their novel method uses organic acid such as ascorbic acid (vitamin C) as a leaching agent, and has been tested on cathode material from a […]

Colder is not always better for energy-hungry data centers, especially when it comes to their power bills. A new analysis says that keeping the centers at 41°C, or around 106°F, could save up to 56% in cooling costs worldwide. The study, published October 10 in the journal Cell Reports Physical Science, proposes new temperature guidelines […]

The Rare Earths MMI (Monthly Metals Index) witnessed yet another steep increase month-over-month. Indeed, supply disruptions remain a massive concern in the rare earths industry, so rare earth magnets and other materials witnessed renewed bullish strength across the board over recent months. In August, market worries arose prior to a planned environmental inspection of China’s […]

Australian researchers have made a breakthrough in developing revolutionary lithium-sulphur batteries that can hold up to five times the energy for half the cost of their traditional lithium-ion counterparts. A team at Monash University in Melbourne claims to have developed a new lithium-sulphur (Li-S) battery design that reduces the amount of lithium needed while significantly […]

Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have found a new and efficient way to recycle metals from spent electric car batteries. The method allows recovery of 100% of the aluminum and 98% of the lithium in electric car batteries. At the same time, the loss of valuable raw materials such as nickel, cobalt and […]

Niobium is a strong and silvery metal that is extracted from the mineral columbite. Used in alloys for making parts of jet engines and rockets, niobium is also an essential component in semiconductors. It’s mainly found in abundance in Brazil and Canada, but Chinese geologists have found niobobaotite – a rare earth iron ore with […]

Our electronic world is full of batteries, and WA’s renewable future may rely on them too. And with great reliance there comes a need for great quality. So how do we make batteries better? Researchers from the Edith Cowan University may just have the answer—in the form of a new zinc-air battery. It’s cheap, safe […]