The Crucible: January 2018
‘In the long run…’ Demand, supply, and the economics of resource availability
The mining industry has a problem, bemoaned Codelco chairman Oscar Landerretche…
-
-
Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, and Tsinghua University, China have come up with a possible solution to the problem with electrodes in rechargeable batteries. An electrode…
-
In his book, The Last Sorcerers, Richard Morris charts the path from alchemy to the periodic table. He describes how scientists and philosophers have tried for well over two thousand… -
CrucibleLegislation and RegulationSustainability and Resource ManagementThe Crucible: December 2025EU adopts a CBAM package ahead of Jan 2026 implementation
On 17th December, the European commission adopted a new package on its Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), as the transitional 2023-2025 period of the carbon emissions control measure ends and…
-
CrucibleThe Crucible: January 2024Follow-up CBAM measurements – CBAM reference prices for aluminium
Memorandum In brief At the end of 2023, the European Commission published the list of default values for the goods affected by CBAM. Aluminium, a critical raw material (CRM),…
-
Heneken Group, has had a busy year in 2023, and since becoming a member of the MMTA. The Slovakian company has grown from its roots as a trader and master…
-
CrucibleThe Crucible: July/August 2018How recycling more steel and aluminium could slash imports without a trade war
Many economists expect President Donald Trump’s tariffs on imported steel and aluminium to increase what American companies and consumers pay for those metals and the goods made from them. Dozens of…
-
Tom Butcher, Consultant A Bit of Background Iran has lived with sanctions for many years now. And still does. The first hefty set of sanctions was unilaterally imposed upon the… -
Aluminium batteries have been in the news recently as a viable challenger to lithium-ion cells. Researchers from Stanford University have created a fast-charging, inexpensive, long-lasting and flexible aluminium battery. The… -
The humble bicycle, popular since… well that’s quite a disputed date, but from the early 1800s, the ancestors of the modern-day bicycle were certainly in use. One prominent version was the Draisienne….
-
25-26 April 2023 Charlotte, NC, USA Day 1 – Tuesday, April 25 For delegates who had neither played golf at the Bermuda Run Country Club (kindly sponsored by ICD…
-
Neveah Limited is getting ready to open what is set to become West Africa’s leading recycling facility, in Shagamu, Lagos. The gas-powered plant, which is nearing completion will have the…
-
Researchers from North Carolina State University (NC State) and Qatar University have developed a new metal alloy that has a higher strength-to-weight ratio than any other existing metallic material. This…
-
Dr. Ing. Martin Tauber, Industry Consultant, President Critical Raw Materials (CRM) Alliance, Member of International Magnesium Association (IMA) EU Committee Contact [email protected] Although magnesium still has a strong position in… -
By Gina Evangelidis The European solar industry grew by 15% in 2015, continuing Europe’s reign as the chief continent for solar powered energy. Germany is currently the biggest player in… -
CrucibleThe Crucible: May 2016Potential aerospace applications for new niobium-base master alloy in magnesium-aluminium and aluminium-silicon alloys.
Scientists at Brunel University, London have discovered that a patented niobium-base master alloy improves grain refinement in aluminium-containing magnesium alloys. That isn’t all — it also offers ‘significant advantages’ over titanium in aluminium-silicon alloys.
-
In the world of smart phones, smart watches and even smart central heating, why not take a look at smart alloys? In particular shape memory alloys (SMAs). SMAs ‘remember’ their… -
CrucibleThe Crucible: May 2024Trade IssuesThe Nickel Market and Russia Sanctions — limited impact, turns focus to China
S&P Global Commodity Insights dives into the impact of the recent US and UK government sanctions on Russian-origin metal in the nickel market. In April 2024, the US and UK…
-
Visual Capitalist produces some fanstastic infographics, and they kindly gave the Crucible permission to reproduce them. The image below shows ‘What’s inside an iPhone 6’ and as you can see… -
The Wood Mackenzie Future Facing Commodities Forum returns on 30 April 2025, focusing on the outlook for the key commodities that underpin the energy transition including Aluminium, Copper, Lithium and…