Researchers have examined a method to extract rare-earth elements from mining waste that could provide the world with a reliable supply of the valuable materials. The research, led by Idaho... Read more
ONCE again, worrywarts in Washington are wringing their hands over possible shortages of so-called “critical materials” for America’s high-tech industries. In particular, the Department of E... Read more
A Chinese threat to halt exports of rare minerals — vital for high-performance electric motors in wind turbines, hybrid cars and missiles — appears to have backfired. Read more
Image via Wikipedia For decades, entrepreneurs have tried to strike it rich by gathering up ugly potato-size rocks that carpet the global seabed. Known as manganese nodules, the rocks are pl... Read more
Image via Wikipedia When Japanese mineral traders learned in late September that China was blocking shipments of a vital commodity, the word came not from a government announcement but from... Read more