Critical Materials Institute

The Critical Materials Institute is a U.S. DOE Energy Innovation Hub led by Ames Laboratory, and supports early-stage research to advance innovation in U.S. manufacturing. CMI seeks ways to eliminate and reduce reliance on rare-earth metals and other materials critical to the success of clean energy technologies.

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Focus Areas

Diversifying Supply

Developing Substitutes

Reuse and Recycling

Crosscutting Research

News & Highlights

All News | All Highlights

Feature Story

It's all part of the grind: CMI's new hard drive shredder serves up plenty of material for recycling science

Ramesh Bhave, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

In the News

ORNL receives four 2020 FLC technology transfer awards

In the News

American Manganese announces purity from recycling test results on EV battery materials for DOE CMI project

Research Highlight

Electrochemical leaching of cobalt and lithium from nickel-rich battery sources

In the News

INL: Sustainable e-recycling process economically competitive with current practices

CMI Speeds Innovation

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Invention Disclosures

R&D 100 Awards

U.S. Patents

Licensed Technologies

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The Critical Materials Institute focuses on technologies that make better use of materials and eliminate the need for materials that are subject to supply disruptions.

CMI technology is available for licensing

Going from an idea to a licensed technology in just two years is exactly what CMI is intended to do, and we've proven we can do it.
”

Alex King

CMI Founding Director