Tech Explorers’ Post

Recoveries of up to 90% scandium after further sighter leach tests! Scandium’s importance is shown by its inclusion in both Australia’s 2023 #CriticalMinerals List and the United States Geological Survey’s 2022 List of 50 minerals commodities critical to the economy and national security. Incorporation of #scandium in materials has environmental benefits, particularly in #decarbonisation of energy. The latest leaching tests conducted at Metallurgy Pty Ltd for Rimfire Pacific Mining Limited on their scandium-mineralised laterite material from the Melrose prospect have improved the #recovery of #scandium into solution to up to 90.1% compared to previous leaching tests that resulted in the best scandium recovery of 40%. Find out more on the metallurgical testwork carried out for the team around David Hutton FAusIMM in their most recent #asx announcement. Connect with our team of metallurgical experts today at +61 (0) 8 9458 3286 or through email at enquiry@metlab.com.au. We look forward to assisting you with your project. 

📰 CRU Principal Consultant Alex Laugharne recently wrote an article on the 'Risks to the European battery raw materials supply chain' for BESTmag as part of a preview for the upcoming Advanced Automotive Battery Conference, which will be held in Strasbourg, France between the 13th and 16th of May. 🔋 In the article, Alex describes how the increase in battery demand has led to a corresponding increase in raw material requirements, for which the mining industry has struggled to respond to. He goes on to elaborate on some of the risks from a European perspective, including a high level of geographical concentration and vertical integration in the raw materials supply chain, stringent ESG standards and a lack of access to a reliable source of low-cost raw materials such as lithium, nickel, graphite, cobalt and manganese. 👉 If you would like to read this article in full, please follow the link: https://lnkd.in/gekqaZp8 #batteries #EVs #lithium #nickel #graphite #cobalt

Manganese nodules are mineral concretions on the sea bottom formed of concentric layers of iron and manganese hydroxides around a core. These nodules, found in abundance on the deep ocean floor, are rich in valuable metals such as manganese, nickel, copper, and cobalt. Their economic potential has driven technological advancements and global efforts in deep-sea mining. Countries like the United States, Japan, Germany, and China have been at the forefront of exploring and developing methods to efficiently extract these resources from the ocean depths. These innovations include advanced remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), deep-sea drilling technologies, and environmentally sustainable mining practices, all aimed at harnessing the wealth contained within these nodules while minimizing the ecological impact on marine ecosystems.

Seyedeh Maryam Sadeghi, Brecht Dewulf, Clara Vermoere, Rayco Lommelen, Stylianos Tampouris*, Koen Binnemans of the Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven and *General Mining and Metallurgical Company, Greece, have a new poster presentation from the recent ICHS2024 Symposium entitled Ni/Co recovery from ferronickel (FeNi) ores using an HCl-based route. This research is part of the ongoing Horizon Europe ENICON project https://lnkd.in/gdNrPhQH

With the demand for high-purity #manganese expected to grow tenfold by 2030, Jupiter Mines highlights the challenges & opportunities in this market. As a key component in #EV #batteries, manganese plays a pivotal role in the transition to cleaner #energy. More 👉 https://lnkd.in/g_T5MnMi

Copper 2025 - only a few days left before abstract deadline! I want to draw everyone's attention to a few things about Copper 2025: - It will be the largest event in extractive metallurgy ever in combination with Extraction 2025 - Only extended summaries of a couple pages are due before speaking instead of full length papers - The deadline for abstracts is Nov 1 - This is a hard deadline - unlike other events, it appears that this will not be extended Please help to get the word out. If you have questions about submitting, you can reach out to me. We are especially interested in papers on copper recycling and waste handling! Submit here: https://lnkd.in/dsEkRARR The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society MetSoc: Metallurgy and Materials Society of CIM Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration Inc. (SME) #Copper2025 #Extraction2025

#Spodumene, a vital #mineral for its #lithium content, is primarily found in its host rock, pegmatite. #Pegmatite is a coarse-grained igneous rock composed of minerals such as quartz, feldspar, and mica, alongside spodumene. Mined in countries like Australia, China, Bolivia and Argentina, spodumene is crucial for lithium-ion #battery production, essential for electronic devices, electric vehicles, and energy storage systems. New discoveries of spodumene bearing pegmatites are coming from many countries. The extraction process involves #mining, crushing, and processing pegmatite ore to obtain lithium concentrates. Sustainable practices, including efficient extraction technologies, responsible mining, and recycling initiatives, are vital to meet this demand. The spodumene market is poised for growth, driven by the transition to clean energy and the electrification of transportation, necessitating a focus on pegmatite exploration, extraction methods and sustainability practices.

" 'Tanbreez is a game-changing rare earth mine for the West and a key step in positioning Critical Metals Corp. as the leading supplier of critical minerals, with a diversified, multi-asset portfolio spanning multiple geographies,” CEO Tony Sage said in a news release. "Critical Metals, which owns Europe’s first fully permitted lithium mine, the Wolfsberg lithium project in Austria, debuted on the Nasdaq in March." From Oilprice.com: "The two-pronged trade war has been well under way for some time now, and it’s all about the nexus of microchips and rare earth’s elements (REEs). "In August 2022, the Biden administration signed the CHIPS and Science Act into law to boost domestic manufacturing of semiconductors and reduce reliance on China. That move was in response to Beijing’s move to tighten exports of rare earths elements gallium, germanium and graphite. In late 2023, Beijing tightened controls on exports of rare earths and then banned the export of rare earths extraction technology. The trade war pits semiconductors against REEs in actions and reactions by Beijing and Washington. "Everything going forward is about microchips. Artificial intelligence (AI), military defense, and absolutely everything in between. It’s all powered by chips, which do not exist without the REEs necessary to make them. That’s why the Tanbreez acquisition is so significant. The mine is positioned to become a major REE supply chain for the western hemisphere in the face of a Chinese government that has the ability to severely disrupt the availability of nearly all critical metals. "The Chinese could almost instantly take 50% of rare earth oxide supply off the market, which would devastatingly affect U.S. defense systems, which are already stretched thin over Ukraine." Huge Rare Earths Discovery is Gamechanger in Americas Trade War with China, Oilprice.com, 6/19/24: https://lnkd.in/gNeaAapB https://lnkd.in/gC52WHw3 #mining #rareearth #gallium #germanium #graphite #lithium #trade #balanceoftrade #greenland #ai #artificialintelligence #semiconductors #renewables #renewablenergy #renewablepower #battery #batterytech #bess #tanbreez

Check out our (free!) Webinar Series: The Mines of Tomorrow! Sessions will be at 9am ET - first one is September 19th. Registration link in post below. #webinar #criticalminerals #energytransition

It's not just lithium that this headline applies to. At least 12 critical commodities, including rare earths, silicon, and key battery metals, have 60% or more of their downstream capacity concentrated in China. ⚒ Mining is bound by geology. 📈 Downstream processing is bound by economics. OEMs do not have the time to wait for industrial policies to incentivize downstream raw material production, especially in the EV market. Building stronger relationships and partnerships with Chinese producers is an immediate step that OEMs in the West must take if they are not doing so already. #criticalminerals #lithium #rareearths #silicon #batterymetals #CRU