Critical Minerals
MRD’s 94.9% gallium recovery puts bauxite back in the critical minerals spotlight
Mount Ridley Mines has reported 94.9 per cent gallium recovery from a third-party bauxite sample using its patent-pending Selectro process, alongside recoveries of 92 per cent aluminium and 97 per cent iron in a single low-temperature leach. The test also produced a silica-rich residue instead of conventional red mud, highlighting the technology’s potential to recover multiple metals from bauxite through one processing route. The sample was provided by Australian Silica Quartz Group from its Darling Range bauxite project in Western Australia. It comprised material collected from 16 vacuum drill samples across four holes at the Athena and Ceres prospects. Containing 80 parts per million of gallium, the sample yielded an extraction rate of 94.9 per cent into solution. Mount Ridley said this...
Mount Ridley Mines files second Selectro patent to target industrial metals recovery
Australia’s Mount Ridley Mines is expanding its Selectro processing technology beyond critical minerals, with a second provisional patent application targeting industrial feedstocks such as bauxite and potentially opening new licensing and partnership opportunities. Mount Ridley Mines Ltd (ASX: MRD) has lodged a second provisional patent application for its proprietary Selectro hydrometallurgical technology, seeking to protect an adapted version of the process designed to recover metals from industrial feedstocks. Filed on October 15 2026, with IP Australia through its wholly owned subsidiary, Mount Ridley Tech, the application follows the company's initial Selectro patent filing in August 2026. The new application covers an adaptation of the technology in which the reagent molecule has...
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International Critical Minerals Expo & Summit IV
Mining & Critical Minerals India Conference and Exhibition
Indonesia Critical Minerals Conference & Expo 2026
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A report that reveals where the aluminium casting industry is heading and how businesses can act.
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A report that reveals where the aluminium casting industry is heading and how businesses can act.
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AL Circle Analysis: Guinea’s 150Mt bauxite cap, China’s import swings, US tariffs draw aluminium Q4’26
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News
Critical Metals gains ground as Greenland approves Tanbreez mining plan through 2050
Critical Metals Corp. (NASDAQ: CRML) gained ground on Monday after Greenland approved the Tanbreez rare-earth project’s mining and closure plans through 2050, removing a major regulatory hurdle for one of the largest heavy rare-earth deposits outside China. Signed by Greenland’s Minister and Member of the Parliament Múte B. Egede on September 29, 2026, the approvals cover operations through September 2050, providing a framework for roughly 24 years of permitted activity under the company’s current exploitation license. To learn about the market potential of aluminum dross, explore "ALuminium Dross Processing: Generation, Recovery & Strategic Roadmap" Critical Metals shares climbed up around 13% in morning trading before easing to a gain of about 4%, putting the stock on course to end a...
Gallium, germanium in automotive electronics: Study maps Europe’s critical-mineral recycling edge
As electronics occupy a larger share of the backbone of automotive industry, Europe’s reliance on imported critical minerals is drawing greater attention. A recent bachelor’s thesis from Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg has explored the recycling potential of two strategic materials, viz., gallium and germanium, within automotive electronics, particularly in Electronic Control Units (ECUs), which control functions ranging from powertrain systems and safety technologies to battery management in electric vehicles. Although recycling rates for both metals remain negligible today, the study suggests that industrial waste streams, semiconductor scrap and future end-of-life electronics could become important secondary sources if recovery infrastructure develops in time. To learn...
Solcoa raises $75m to scale US rare earth metal production ahead of defence deadline
The financing will support a Nevada plant designed to produce 500 tonnes of rare earth metals annually, as US defence sourcing restrictions are set to expand from January 2027. Solcoa Industries has secured USD 75 million to expand rare earth metal production in the United States, targeting a supply-chain bottleneck that is becoming increasingly important for defence manufacturers. The company said the funding will support construction and commissioning of its Solcoa One plant in Nevada, which is planned to begin operating in July 2027 with annual capacity of 500 tonnes. The financing includes USD 45 million in equity led by Bain Capital Ventures, with participation from Gigascale Capital, Long Journey, Felicis, Dylan Field and other investors from the defence and technology sectors. A...
15-tonne anorthosite push meets Greenland security pact as AnorTech advances sustainable alumina
Greenland’s newly signed security agreement is bringing fresh attention to the island’s critical-minerals potential — and AnorTech is positioning its sustainable alumina project to benefit from the stronger investment environment. AnorTech has welcomed the Greenland Security Agreement signed by Greenland, Denmark and the United States at the United Nations General Assembly on September 22, saying the framework could strengthen the environment for critical-mineral development and secure supply chains. For AnorTech, the development comes as it advances its Gronne Bjerg anorthosite project and works towards commercialising a portfolio that includes zero-waste smelter-grade alumina (SGA) and high-purity alumina (HPA). The company said the agreement strengthens regional defence cooperation,...
Guinea seeks US financing for CBG alumina refinery as bauxite processing push accelerates
Guinea is looking to bring US financing into its growing push to process more bauxite into alumina at home, with its Mines Ministry holding discussions in the United States over possible support for an alumina refinery planned by Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinée (CBG). The discussions involve the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and Exim Bank, adding a potential US financing component to Guinea’s efforts to expand domestic alumina refining capacity. Chinese capital has so far played a major role in supporting the country’s move towards local bauxite processing. CBG refinery plans take shape as Guinea seeks US funding The talks took place on Friday, September 18, on the sidelines of an international critical minerals conference. Christopher Kulukundis, acting US...
Saudi Arabia identifies 114m tonnes of rare-earth and uranium-bearing ore in Madinah
Saudi Arabia has identified approximately 114 million tonnes of ore containing high concentrations of rare earth elements and promising uranium concentrations in the Madinah Region, adding another significant resource to the Kingdom’s expanding minerals portfolio. Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Saudi Arabia’s minister of energy and minister of industry and mineral resources, announced the discovery during the 70th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna. The resources were identified through exploration and geological studies at the Jabal Sayid project, with particularly high concentrations of heavy rare earth elements reported. Prince Abdulaziz said the findings place the project among the significant rare earth resource sites currently...
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