US to counter China’s critical minerals dominance with ‘game-changing’ innovations

Potential US innovation in recycling electronic waste, combined with refining and processing, will allow the US to leapfrog China in critical minerals, an official at the Department of Energy said on Monday amid Washington’s aggressive attempts to counter China’s dominance in the industry.

Recycling metals, materials and magnets within the US is one of the fastest ways the country can impact the critical minerals supply chain, and entrepreneurs across the US are “pioneering” new techniques that allow for more efficient and effective processing, Assistant Secretary of Energy Audrey Robertson said at an event hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).

“New technology in this space will be a game changer … I think you will see significant gains in the output from recycled black mass and material in the coming 12 months,” Robertson said. Black mass is the powdery residue from lithium-ion batteries that contain valuable critical minerals.