Critical mineral supply concerns the identification, extraction, processing, and recycling of materials essential for energy, defense, and high‑technology systems, with particular emphasis on rare earth elements, uranium, lithium, graphite, and related metals. The field examines geological resources, waste and urban mining pathways, nuclear fuel cycle by‑products, and advanced materials development alongside geopolitical dependencies, trade controls, and national strategies. It also addresses supply‑chain vulnerabilities and sustainability constraints that influence low‑carbon energy transitions and long‑term resource security.
Energy & Green Tech
Rare earth elements, a group of chemical elements, and other critical minerals are generally costly and difficult to procure and depend on complex supply chains. Yet some of these elements, such as lithium, are essential ...
Jul 1, 2026
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Business
Researchers from The University of Texas at Austin have found that there is a significant amount of rare earth elements trapped in the coal and coal ash supply of the Gulf Coast—with a total value of more than $187 billion.
Jun 16, 2026
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Energy & Green Tech
Japan has resumed operations at the world's largest nuclear power plant to help the country meet huge electricity demands during a global oil crisis, but the reboot highlights a big problem: Japan is running out of space ...
Jun 11, 2026
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Energy & Green Tech
Despite having the world's second-largest reserve of rare earth elements, second only to China, Brazil still needs to overcome technological and environmental obstacles to establish a local production chain. This group of ...
Jun 8, 2026
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Energy & Green Tech
Researchers at Ames National Laboratory are advancing the discovery of materials for rare-earth-free permanent magnets by combining fundamental physics with artificial intelligence. The work contributes to the U.S. Department ...
Jun 4, 2026
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Energy & Green Tech
The U.S. may not have enough water to support its lithium ambitions, a new Northwestern University study has found. An essential ingredient for electric vehicle (EV) batteries and other clean energy technologies, lithium ...
May 29, 2026
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Energy & Green Tech
A research team at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has deployed AI agents with the potential to accelerate the recovery of critical minerals from real-world industrial waste in days instead ...
May 28, 2026
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Business
As electric vehicle (EV) adoption grows in the United States and globally, the demand for EV batteries and their critical materials—such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, and graphite—is expected to surge dramatically. This makes ...
May 21, 2026
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Business
Production of drones and autonomous robots is expected to explode by the late 2030s—by up to 10× for commercial drones and 100× for humanoid and quadruped robots. Publishing in Chem Circularity, researchers estimate how this ...
May 1, 2026
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Energy & Green Tech
From cell phones to wind turbines and missile defense systems, modern technologies depend on critical minerals like rare earth elements. As demand grows, researchers are exploring more efficient and adaptable methods to recover ...
Apr 21, 2026
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