A Blog for Browsing Mining, Mineral Processing, and Metals Info

Graphene, an atom-thick material with extraordinary properties, is a promising candidate for the next generation of dramatically faster, more energy-efficient electronics. However, scientists have struggled to fabricate the material into ultra-narrow strips, called nanoribbons, that could enable the use of graphene in high-performance semiconductor electronics.

Now, University of Wisconsin-Madison engineers have discovered a way to grow graphene nanoribbons with desirable semiconducting properties directly on a conventional germanium semiconductor wafer. This breakthrough could allow manufacturers to easily use graphene nanoribbons in hybrid integrated circuits, which promise to significantly boost the performance of next-generation electronic devices.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-08-graphene-nanoribbon-faster-efficient-electronics.html#jCp

Lanka Graphite on Friday commenced trading on the ASX under the ticker LGR, following the completion of the merger of Viculus and Euro Petroleum. The firm holds exploration licences for high-purity graphite sites in Sri Lanka, and hopes to mine it for use in “new graphene technology”. The firm also appointed Jitto Arulampalam as its new Executive Chairman.

Read more at: http://newmaterialsnews.com/graphene-news/lanka-graphite-starts-trading-on-asx-targets-graphene-market

Last week, the heads of the national and local governments along with mining executives vetoed exports of nickel laterites to China because of New Caledonia’s longstanding supply agreements with Australia.

“The opening to China is against the mining strategy established in 2009 to maintain export volumes to traditional clients of New Caledonia,” Philippe Germain, president of New Caledonia said in a statement.

Germain also said exports to China were unpredictable and blamed the Asian giant for the substantial fall in nickel prices.

Read more at: http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/08/06/nickel-newcaledonia-idINL3N10H15420150806

The Additive Manufacturing Conference (AMC) 2015, presented by Modern Machine Shop, has announced the addition of two exclusive facility tours to this year’s event program.

The two-day Additive Manufacturing Conference taking place October 20-21, 2015 in Knoxville, TN, will offer established manufacturing professionals ways to connect with leading suppliers, end-users and researchers of industrial applications of additive manufacturing technologies.

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/2637046#ixzz3i4GbKtWs

General Electric Co. will spend $500 million this year to promote and sell tools that link factories, equipment and computer systems, seeking to become a one-stop technology provider for industrial companies.

Read more at: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-05/ge-seeks-to-sell-its-own-industrial-cloud-computing-technology-icy9rxe2

In the first quarter of 2015 the CMPMA reported that structural PM part sales increased by 20.2% to Yuan 170,095 million ($273.9 million) of which exports contributed Yuan 16,544 million, an increase of 22.1%.

According to a market research report published earlier this year production of high purity iron powder in China is estimated to have reached 498,000 tonnes in 2014. This includes both reduced and water atomised high purity iron powder including that used in the Powder Metallurgy sector.

– See more at: http://www.ipmd.net/news/003446.html#sthash.lATD22LI.dpuf

U.S. Rare Earths, Inc., a rare earths exploration company with approximately 25,000 acres of mining claims in the U.S., announced today that it has entered into an exclusive global commercial patent license agreement with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory to utilize the Membrane Assisted Solvent Extraction for Rare Earths Technology (“MSX Technology”), which results in the recovery and separation of Neodymium, Dysprosium and Praseodymium from electronic E-waste.

U.S. Rare Earths has also signed a non-exclusive commercial patent license agreement for use of MSX Technology with intention of separation of REEs from their claims in the United States. Both the exclusive and non-exclusive commercial patent license agreement were signed between UT-Battelle, LLC, (a limited liability partnership between the University of Tennessee and Battelle Memorial Institute), (“Licensor”) and U.S. Rare Earths, Inc. (Licensee).

The Licensor, manages and operates the Oak Ridge National Laboratory under contract with the United States Department of Energy (DoE).

Read more at:http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/prnewswire/DA71007.htm

Small businesses can gain access to ORNL resources such as the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility through a new Department of Energy voucher pilot.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory has $5.6 million in funding to share lab resources with small businesses developing clean energy technologies.

The funds are part of a $20 million Department of Energy pilot program aimed at small companies in the advanced manufacturing, transportation and building sectors.

Read more at: http://www.knoxnews.com/business/business-journal/ornl-invites-small-businesses-to-use-its-facilities_24370749

The destructive force of a collapse in world coal prices has been underscored by the sale of a mine valued at A$860 million ($631 million) three years ago for just a dollar.

Brazilian miner Vale SA and Japan’s Sumitomo Corp. sold the Isaac Plains coking-coal mine in Australia to Stanmore Coal Ltd., the Brisbane-based company said Thursday in a statement. Sumitomo bought a half stake for A$430 million in 2012.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-31/the-600-million-mine-sold-for-a-dollar-underscores-ruin-of-coal