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.
Engineering
Neodymium is a rare-earth element essential for producing the strongest permanent magnets, which are widespread in defense technologies, hard drives, medical imaging devices, electric vehicle motors, wind turbines and more. ...
Dec 3, 2025
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Energy & Green Tech
Crucial for making smartphones, fighter jets and electric cars, "rare earth" metals have become a strategic bargaining chip since main producer China this year introduced restrictions on their exports.
Dec 3, 2025
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Hardware
Recent research from a University of Adelaide academic has outlined the gap between scientific reality and whether a promising technology reaches commercial production. Adjunct Lecturer Dr. Dominic Lane, School of Electrical ...
Nov 25, 2025
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Business
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has published a report identifying strategies for developing a more efficient, sustainable and resilient U.S. metals processing infrastructure, where metals are used ...
Nov 20, 2025
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Business
Silicon, aluminum and lithium are the most critical raw materials on Earth. Their scarcity and the complexity of extracting them could hinder the development of technologies that are key to the green transition. This is one ...
Nov 18, 2025
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Consumer & Gadgets
Researchers are developing reusable and environmentally friendly electronics for the health care, consumer and manufacturing sectors, replacing scarce materials with circular alternatives to build a sustainable future.
Nov 17, 2025
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Energy & Green Tech
It is common for nuclear engineers to be concerned with the disposition of nuclear waste. After all, the United States alone currently has about 90,000 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel stored in concrete casks on nuclear ...
Nov 14, 2025
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Engineering
Researchers at the University of New Hampshire have harnessed artificial intelligence to accelerate the discovery of new functional magnetic materials, creating a searchable database of 67,573 magnetic materials, including ...
Nov 7, 2025
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Engineering
Nuclear waste remains a major environmental hazard due to its long-lasting radioactivity, which can persist for thousands of years. However, new research by University of Sharjah scientists, published in the journal Nuclear ...
Nov 4, 2025
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Energy & Green Tech
China recently announced that it was putting new controls on the export of rare earth elements, sparking a new round in the country's ongoing trade war with the US.
Oct 30, 2025
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