Advanced Materials For Engineering

20% of the world’s copper is mined using microbes. That’s over 4 million metric tons a year—enough copper to wire every building constructed globally in 2023. The process, now called bioleaching or biomining, predates modern science by millennia. During China’s Han Dynasty (~150 BCE), miners discovered that dipping iron tools into mineral-rich “gall springs” caused them to emerge sheathed in bright copper—as if transmuted. Locals believed it was alchemy. For centuries, regions from Cyprus to Spain used similar techniques to collect small amounts of copper—but it wasn’t until 2,000 years later that the process was fully understood and industrialized. In the early 1900s at Utah Copper’s Kennecott Bingham Canyon Mine, copper-rich waste streams flowed through the slums of the nearby town. Locals harvested copper by tossing iron cans into the runoff, then scraping off the copper chunks that formed. When Kennecott caught on, they fought for and won legal control over these waste streams—and began scaling the process. By the 1930s, engineered precipitation plants were processing millions of gallons of acidic leachate daily, using scrap iron to harvest copper. At the time, it was assumed the process was purely chemical—a byproduct of upstream mining. But in 1947, researchers Colmer and Hinkle uncovered the true driver: microbes. What was happening was a four step process: 1. 𝐴𝑐𝑖𝑑𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑜𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑢𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑜𝑜𝑥𝑖𝑑𝑎𝑛𝑠 produces sulfuric acid, maintaining a low-pH environment. 2. 𝐴𝑐𝑖𝑑𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑜𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑢𝑠 𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑜𝑥𝑖𝑑𝑎𝑛𝑠 converts ferrous iron (Fe²⁺) into ferric iron (Fe³⁺)—a powerful oxidizer. 3. That Fe³⁺ attacks copper sulfides (like chalcocite, a copper ore), releasing Cu²⁺ into solution. 4. When scrap iron (Fe⁰) is added, a redox reaction displaces copper, which plates onto the surface as elemental copper (Cu⁰). Today, Chile leads the world in copper mining—accounting for nearly 24% of global production in 2024, or roughly 5.3 million metric tons. With vast reserves of low‑grade chalcopyrite, Chile had both the incentive and the raw material to scale microbial recovery. BioSigma S.A. helped transform this long-overlooked process into precision science. BioSigma has screened and enhanced thermophilic extremophiles from around the world. Using synthetic biology and genomics, it engineers microbial systems that have increased copper recovery on difficult ores from under 50% to over 70%. In 2025, biomining has become a buzzword. Companies like Maverick Metals have raised $19 million to modernize the approach. Transition Biomining, 1849 Bio, Endolith, and alkaLi are engineering new methodologies to pull metals from intractable ores. But this isn’t a new phase of science. It’s the continuation of one of the oldest—and most scalable—biotechnologies on Earth. Microbes have been pulling metals from rock for millennia. We’re just finally learning to give them the credit.

The geography of energy is shifting, and Asia is at the tectonic centre of the change.    As the drama of the climate transition plays out across the world’s largest continent, you can see it first hand in entrepôts like Singapore, which I visited not so long ago. Around one fifth of the world’s energy and metals trade passes through the city’s port and financial markets, in part because the Asia Pacific region has dominated investment in critical materials over the last decade.  That strong demand follows the adoption of solar panels, electric vehicles, and battery storage, each of which depend on sourcing vastly more of the minerals required to build them: copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt, aluminium, and rare earths. The average BYD or Tesla electric vehicle requires six times more mineral inputs than a conventional car.  Asia will need to import and extract these minerals in huge quantities to meet climate targets. Supply chains will reshape around the regions producing and processing these metals, many of which are geographically concentrated. Resource-rich Asian economies are using their deposits to drive growth.     Asian battery makers and miners are also developing advanced recycling techniques to meet this growth in demand more sustainably – by 2050 nearly half of all nickel demand could be met by recycled metals. One example is a company promoting sustainable solutions for lithium-ion batteries called Green Li-ion, so valuable materials within batteries can be reclaimed and reused efficiently. HSBC is supporting the Singaporean founded company through a green trade facility.   Indonesia has become the leading producer of battery metals, while Malaysia looks to benefit from rare earths investments. China is a dominant player, particularly in electric vehicles and the components of solar panels. As trade patterns evolve, producers such as Japan and the Philippines could play greater roles. Australia is already a commodities powerhouse and could become the world’s largest hydrogen exporter.    For many decades, exports of oil and gas shaped trade and geopolitics. In an era of energy transition, economies across the Asia Pacific region are primed to play a greater role. HSBC is primed to help.    #HSBC #climateaction #sustainability David Liao

🌎 Tomorrow is the World Clean Energy Day... what is the role of critical minerals in the #energytransition? The global shift to renewable energy and electrification relies on a steady supply of critical minerals—lithium, copper, nickel, cobalt, and rare earths—to build batteries, electric vehicles, solar farms, and wind turbines. 📊 New analysis from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence shows that we need 293 new mines and processing plants by 2030 just to keep pace with projected demand. Opening a new mine is a long, complex process, often taking 20-30 years due to permitting, research, and investment hurdles. ⏳ Time is running out. If we want a #cleanenergy future, we need to rethink: 🔹 Faster and more sustainable mining practices 🔹 Increased recycling and circular economy solutions 🔹 Diversification of supply chains to reduce geopolitical risks Without urgent action, supply constraints could slow down the energy transition. 🌍 What’s the solution? How can we accelerate responsible mining while balancing sustainability?

Rare earth elements are the backbone of the technologies shaping a sustainable future including electric vehicles and wind turbines, yet today, less than 1% are recycled. With China’s latest export controls on rare earth minerals disrupting global supply chains, securing these critical materials has never been more urgent. Microsoft's Climate Innovation Fund is committed to investing in advanced sustainability technologies that create new markets and solutions and ensure supply chain resiliency. This is especially important right now with the export controls because developing a new mine outside of China can take up to 15 years. But what if we could recover rare earth elements more efficiently through recycling? That’s where our investment in Cyclic Materials comes in. Their groundbreaking recycling process is revolutionizing the recovery of rare earth elements. By strengthening local supply chains and reducing environmental impact by 63% compared to traditional mining, they’re keeping critical materials in circulation—helping to build a more resilient and sustainable economy.

China just fired back and this one could hit close to home for many Americans. In response to new U.S. tariffs, China is tightening its grip on rare earth exports again. Today’s announcement added more minerals to the restricted list, including samarium, scandium, yttrium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, and gadolinium. Gadolinium is a big deal in this group. It’s used in more than 50% of MRI scans, and the U.S. performs around 40 million MRIs a year. That makes it a critical input for modern healthcare. The global market is worth $6 billion, and gadolinium is virtually irreplaceable in the most common generation of MRI systems. This isn’t just posturing. It’s a direct shot at U.S. healthcare and industrial infrastructure. More importantly for the mining sector, it’s a clear signal that China is still on offense when it comes to critical minerals. Don’t be surprised if the rally in tungsten, germanium, and antimony has staying power.

If this isn’t a wake up call, I don’t know what is. China imposing restrictions on the REEs export can be very difficult for India. Rare earth elements aren't rare. But access to them is. And in the race toward clean energy, that’s a problem most people are ignoring. Today, China controls over 68% of global REE mining and 86% of exports. These numbers don’t just indicate dominance, they define dependence. Your EVs, wind turbines, phones, defense systems, medical devices - all rely on REEs. These minerals power the green future we’re all trying to build. But here's the issue: -India holds over 6% of global REE reserves. - We mine less than 1%. That gap? It’s not just strategic. It’s existential. In 2010, when China cut off REE exports to Japan, the global market panicked. Prices spiked. Industries stalled. And once again, we remembered just how fragile our systems really are. Now imagine this happening at scale. Globally. Because that’s exactly where we’re headed unless we shift from extraction to intelligence. What are REEs used for? - Green energy: EV batteries, solar panels, wind turbines - Electronics: Smartphones, TVs, LEDs, laptops - Magnets & Motors: Used in almost every electric motor - Defense & Aerospace: Stealth, navigation, guidance systems - Medical: MRI machines, surgical tools - Refining: Catalysts for fuel and emissions control - Glass & Optics: High-performance glass, polishing, lenses They’re everywhere. And yet, we keep treating them like they’re infinite. So what’s the solution? Not just mining. And not just stockpiling. We need to build systems for circularity: - Recycle REEs from e-waste and clean tech - Localize processing capacity - Build incentives for recyclable design - Shift to lifecycle thinking, not just product cycles This is where real resilience comes from. Because if we don’t invest in sustainable recovery now, we’ll be paying the price in dependency later. The future isn’t just electric, it’s circular. And those who understand that today will lead tomorrow. Recykal.com #recykal #circularity #china #exports #evs

The headline that caught my eye this week "Lynas Becomes First Heavy Rare Earths Producer Outside China." Here’s my take: Heavy rare earths — which are crucial to various types of advanced manufacturing — are playing a significant role in the global trade negotiations currently underway.  That's why it's interesting to see this story about heavy rare earths — specifically dysprosium oxide — being produced commercially outside China's borders.  Dysprosium is essential for high-performance magnets used in EVs and renewable energy technologies. The concentration of processing in China has created vulnerabilities in supply chains. Note that Malaysian-produced materials are already being priced at a premium to Chinese benchmarks — and finding willing buyers across Japan, the U.S., and Europe. Geographic diversification of processing will take time, but each step is meaningful as we move toward more resilient critical mineral supply chains. https://lnkd.in/ekywjuUH

The global shift to clean #energy, electrified #transport, and modern #infrastructure is gaining pace. But there’s a growing challenge behind the progress, we do not yet have the #rawmaterials at scale to meet what the energy transition demands. By 2030, we face significant projected supply shortfalls in the materials essential to this transformation: →Natural graphite: 46% deficit →Cobalt: 42% deficit →Lithium: 34% deficit →Nickel: 21% deficit →Copper: 15% deficit These are not abstract figures. These materials underpin the industries driving net zero forward: →#Automotive: EV batteries rely on lithium, cobalt, nickel, and graphite →#Renewables: Wind turbines and solar panels depend on copper and specialty metals →#Technology: Devices, semiconductors, and servers require nickel and cobalt →#Utilities and #infrastructure: Copper is critical for modernising power grids →#Aerospace and #defence: Graphite and nickel support high-performance systems Over €644 billion in mining and processing investment is needed by 2050, most of it by 2030, to close the gap between ambition and capability. But the solution isn’t just more extraction. It’s about investing in sustainable, transparent, and resilient supply chains that balance environmental responsibility with industrial growth. Strategic leadership is needed across sectors: →Deploy low-carbon, resource-efficient extraction methods →Invest in recycling and circular systems to reduce material waste →Secure diversified and ethical sources to mitigate geopolitical and ESG risk →Align capital allocation with long-term climate and energy goals From automotive to tech, energy to finance — this is a cross-industry challenge, and the window to act is closing fast. The clean energy transition is not a distant future. It is already reshaping markets and redefining value. Those who lead with urgency and foresight will define the economy of the next generation. #energytransition #sustainability #criticalminerals #cleantech #futureofenergy #mininginnovation #automotive #technology #renewables #esg #netzero #strategicleadership Visual: Appian Capital Advisory LLP Data: International Energy Agency (IEA), Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, BloombergNEF, Wood Mackenzie

“Materials-to-Chip” Opportunity: 4 ways India’s sand, rare earths, chemicals, and metals can together form a semiconductor supereconomy 1. Silica Sand to Silicon Wafers India possesses abundant high-purity silica sand reserves in states like Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu, especially around riverbeds and coastal belts. • Process: Silica (SiO₂) → Metallurgical-grade silicon → Polysilicon → Monocrystalline ingots → Wafers. • Industrial link: India’s glass, solar, and metallurgy industries already handle purification and crystal growth processes; these capabilities can be refined for electronic-grade silicon. • Opportunity: Setting up polysilicon refineries and wafer slicing units near sand reserves can reduce import dependence from China, Korea, and Japan. 2. Rare Earth Elements for Magnets and Chip Equipment India’s monazite and bastnäsite deposits along the eastern and southern coasts (Odisha, Kerala, Tamil Nadu) are rich in rare earth elements such as neodymium, praseodymium, and dysprosium. • Use: These are crucial for permanent magnets in chipmaking equipment, lithography stages, and EV motors that power the semiconductor-demanding electronics sector. • Industrial link: Partnering with existing players like IREL (India) Limited and defense material labs can help scale purification and magnet alloy production. • Opportunity: Establish a Rare Earth Processing Park that serves both semiconductor and EV ecosystems, creating a dual-use economic corridor. 3. Petrochemical and Chemical Industry for Semiconductor-Grade Gases & Chemicals India’s strong petrochemical hubs (Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu) already produce precursors like hydrogen, ammonia, isopropanol, and hydrochloric acid. • Need: Semiconductor fabs require ultra-high-purity (UHP) variants — e.g., isopropyl alcohol (IPA), sulfuric acid, nitrogen, and hydrogen chloride — at parts-per-trillion purity. • Industrial link: Indian Oil, Reliance, and GAIL can co-develop UHP chemical divisions with global purification firms. • Opportunity: Create a semiconductor chemical corridor with joint R&D labs to meet fab-grade standards domestically. 4. Quartz, Sapphire, and Specialty Ceramics for Equipment & Optics Quartz and alumina-based ceramics are vital for CVD chambers, photolithography optics, and wafer handling tools. India has quartz mines in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, and a robust ceramic cluster in Morbi (Gujarat). • Industrial link: These industries can be upgraded to produce semiconductor-grade crucibles, wafer boats, and insulators. • Opportunity: A Semiconductor Materials Park integrating quartz processing, ceramics, and sapphire growth can serve both fabs and equipment manufacturers. ~~~~~~~ If you are looking to invest in semiconductors and need expert insights, drop us a DM.

🚨 New Washington Post Intelligence Report 🚨 Rare earths, real leverage: China’s minerals strategy bites By Josh Rogin and Kendrick Frankel Key Takeaways: With rare earths, China has the cards - China’s newly announced export restrictions mark a structural escalation in the U.S.–China trade war. Beijing’s move to restrict access to rare-earth minerals, magnets and other critical materials is not a reaction to any single U.S. action but the latest step in a deliberate, years-long strategy to tighten control over materials vital to defense, technology and advanced manufacturing. This is not a tit-for-tat retaliation, it’s industrial statecraft. China aims to convert its dominance in critical materials into enduring leverage over Western economies. - Rare-earth strangulation is already being felt. Despite Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s diplomatic efforts to negotiate a deal to avoid large scale disruptions, the flow of magnets and other critical components from China has already sharply declined. U.S. defense primes and automakers are drawing down their stockpiles, refurbishing old parts and racing to find substitutes. The pressure extends beyond magnets to industrial diamonds, lithium-ion batteries and other sectors where China dominates global supply chains. - The U.S. response remains fragmented and reactive. Washington is trying to rally allies against Beijing’s supply chokehold, but Europe and Asia are reticent to fully side with the United States. The Trump administration is left with unilateral tools — tariffs, export controls and rhetorical threats — that harm U.S. markets as much as they pressure China. Beijing may conclude, perhaps mistakenly, that President Donald Trump will avoid actions that cause immediate pain, diluting U.S. deterrence. - Corporate America is unprepared. American industry is scrambling to onshore rare-earth mining, refining and magnet-making, but building that capacity will take years. In the meantime, manufacturers are cannibalizing supply chains, reusing magnets and hoarding supplies. Trump’s looming sectoral tariffs on semiconductors and high-tech components could deepen the uncertainty, forcing firms to navigate overlapping compliance regimes from Washington and Beijing. Read the entire report here: https://wapo.st/4o8gvJl