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GKN Sinter Metals reports that it has developed 20MnCr5, a new low carbon alloy steel intended for metal additive manufacturing (AM).

The case-hardened material has will be used to build prototypes for gears and has a high strength with ductility, high fatigue strength, wear resistance through case hardening and inherent toughness.

Read more at: http://www.materialstoday.com/additive-manufacturing/products/gkn-sinter-metals-introduces-new-alloy-steel

The newly designed computer system used carbon spintronic as a logic gate in the circuit design. The carbon spintronic acts as a switch to control electron movement, similar to the transistors function in the current computer system.

Read more at: http://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/16735/20170606/engineer-university-texas-dallas-designs-computer-system-made-solely-carbon.htm

A battle is heating up for control of a bankrupt mine that is the only significant #US source of the #RareEarth elements used in advanced electronics and some defence applications.

A group led by a former nursing home operator and #Switzerland-based private equity fund will vie with a team of US hedge funds and a #Chinese rare earths company in an auction set to decide the fate of the bankrupt #Molycorp-owned mine on June 14.

Read more at: https://www.ft.com/content/2c3dea3e-3fc2-11e7-82b6-896b95f30f58

Tri Alpha Energy the world’s largest and most advanced private fusion company pioneering an innovative approach to clean #FusionEnergy, is pleased to announce Dr. Ernest Moniz, distinguished physicist and the 13th #US Secretary of Energy, as the newest member of its Board of Directors.

Read more at: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/former-us-energy-secretary-ernest-moniz-joins-board-of-directors-for-fusion-energy-leader-tri-alpha-energy-300459608.html

#Chile’s #SQM said it was planning to expand its production of critical rechargeable battery ingredient #Lithium, as demand continues to rocket on the back of its increased use in electric vehicles and mobile phones.

SQM has access to vast mineral reserves in the so-called ‘lithium triangle’ in Chile and #Argentina and is one of the world’s leading producers of the material.

Read more at: http://www.reuters.com/article/sqm-results-idUSL2N1IK0RP

#India is already on the backfoot when it comes to the crucial #Lithium ion battery manufacturing sector. Lithium ion batteries are the fastest growing storage solutions in particular for the mobility sector. Around 5 million electric vehicles are expected to be rolled out in India by 2020.

In 2011 the lithium ion battery market was pegged at about $10 billion. The market is expected to be worth $ 30 billion by 2020. India’s own demand for lithium ion batteries will grow by a compound annual growth rate of 32% between 2016- 2021.

Read more at: http://www.hindustantimes.com/health/china-leads-the-charge-in-the-lithium-ion-manufacturing-segment-india-playing-catch-up/story-qWcgrBp40E6aRwQA3me6UM.html

“There’s a strict correlation between the amount of #Manganese that makes its way to the anode and the amount of #lithium that gets trapped,” said study coauthor and #Argonne scientist Daniel Abraham. “Now that we know the mechanisms behind the trapping of lithium ions and the capacity fade, we can find methods to solve the problem.”

Read more at: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/04/170425131339.htm

The scale and speed of the #Cobalt price surge over the last few months reflects a scramble for units.

#Lithium was the super-hot metals story of 2016. A spectacular price rally propelled lithium out of the metallic shadows onto the global investment stage.

This year it is the turn of #Cobalt.

The price of cobalt traded on the #London Metal Exchange (#LME) has exploded from $33,000 per ton to $55,000 since the start of January.

#Ecometales, a unit of #Chile’s state-run #Codelco, is in talks with smelters in #Europe and #China to share its technology for stabilising #Arsenic while processing lower-quality #Copper ore, an executive said.

Read more at: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/chiles-codelco-unit-seeks-value-134008283.html