Despite a 43% drop from December’s record, largely due to seasonal factors, the January 2021 MINING.COM EV Metal Index, which tracks the value of battery metals in newly registered passenger EVs (including hybrids) around the world, still ranks as the fourth-best month on record. Just over $290.5 million worth of lithium, cobalt, nickel and graphite … Continue reading EV Metal Index doubles year-on-year as lithium, cobalt prices rally →

Researchers at Australia’s Monash University found that the rare earth cerium affects the fate of a key reaction in copper, gold, silver, and uranium mineralization. In a paper published in the journal Nature Communications, the scientists explain that, in the past, it was believed that ore fluids picked up some cerium on their way to giant deposits. Their findings, however, … Continue reading Rare earth unlocks key reaction in copper, gold, silver, uranium mineralization →

European scientists have announced plans to start mining the moon as early as 2025, though what they’ll be extracting is neither gold nor diamonds, but waste-free nuclear energy thought to be worth trillions of dollars. The goal is to place a lander on the lunar surface to mine and process regolith for water, oxygen, metals and an … Continue reading Mining the moon ready to lift off by 2025 →

The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has proposed a rule incorporating national and international voluntary consensus standards related to electric motor-driven mine equipment and accessories. Under the proposed rule, during a one-year transition period, mine operators could use equipment and accessories that meet either 14 voluntary consensus standards (VCS) or the existing MSHA approval … Continue reading MSHA PROPOSES STANDARDS FOR ELECTRIC MOTOR-DRIVEN MINE EQUIPMENT AND ACCESSORIES →

So, it is the festive period once again and you are trapped in the lab – but fear not, Dr Matthew Partridge has a rather incredible lab-based Christmas plan for you as he shows us…  Christmas is clearly a wonderful time of year. However, as researchers and people of science we wouldn’t let something like … Continue reading How to make Christmas cake with ingredients from lab supply companies →

From January to June 2020, the electric power sector consumed 184.8 million short t of coal, 30% less than during the same period in 2019. After setting an annual record of 1045 million short t in 2007, coal consumption in the electric power sector has been declining. This decline is happening as many coal-fired power … Continue reading US EIA: Power sector consumed 30% less coal in first-half 2020 than in first-half 2019 →

Research agency Fitch Solutions Country Risk & Industry Research says the global primary aluminum market will remain largely in oversupply, owing to absolute production remaining higher than consumption this year, but the surplus is likely to start narrowing from 2021. This will remain the case up to 2024, before widening again from 2025. From 2025 onwards, Fitch expects the … Continue reading Aluminium demand growth will soon outpace production growth →

Mining has traditionally been a dangerous activity with a heavy environmental cost. But European projects are helping to make it safer and cleaner, by taking existing technologies and applying them to the context of mining. Increasing mine safety The SIMS Project is working on the introduction of drones to mining. “It’s about using drones in … Continue reading How technology is creating a safer and more environmentally friendly future for mining →

Humankind is reliant on the ammonium in synthetic fertilizer for food. However, producing ammonia from nitrogen is extremely energy-intensive and requires the use of transition metals. Researchers from Julius-Maximilians-Universität (JMU) Würzburg in Bavaria, Germany, have now achieved the conversion of nitrogen to ammonium at room temperature and low pressure without the need for transition metals. … Continue reading LabNews: Reducing Nitrogen with Boron and Beer →

Copper easily cleared the pivotal $3 a pound level on Monday as the recovery in the Chinese economy, the world’s top consumer of the metal, gains momentum. Copper for delivery in December trading on the Comex market in New York changed hands for $3.065 a pound ($6,757 a tonne) in early afternoon trade, the highest … Continue reading Copper price leaps 26-month high on strong Chinese rebound →