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A new lithium refining method uses electrochemistry to cut waste and energy use, easing a key bottleneck for electric vehicles.

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The discovery could bolster efforts to make the U.S. less dependent on China for minerals essential for renewable power.

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The 15-year effort by Japan is a model for countries now scrambling to reduce their dependence on Beijing’s critical metals.

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I review a fascinating dissertation on interwar metals trading and the "Age of Alloy Steel"

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The U.S. doesn't currently refine cobalt, a valuable material in a number of goods and products. This startup wants to change that.

Ukraine rare earth minerals
7 Mar 2025
spectrum.ieee.org
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Inside an American Rare-Earth Boomtown
29 Dec 2024
spectrum-ieee-org.cdn.ampproject.org

Industrialists and researchers are plotting a new future for these critical materials

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Inside the Crime Rings Trafficking Sand
31 Jan 2024
scientificamerican.com

Organized crime is mining sand from rivers and coasts to feed demand worldwide, ruining ecosystems and communities. Can it be stopped?

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Scientists studying the McDermitt Caldera in Nevada and Oregon think they've found a new, more sustainable way to mine lithium.

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The underbelly of electric vehicles
22 Aug 2023
washingtonpost.com

Mining and processing the minerals needed to meet the growing demand for EVs can be costly for workers, local communities and the environment.