Critical Materials Innovation Hub News

SRNL’s Wellman joins Critical Materials Innovation Hub bringing lab’s expertise and capabilities

CMI welcomes a new member of its executive leadership team: Dawn Wellman, Savannah River National Laboratory, is the CMI Science Integration Lead.

IPR River to River: New documentary highlights critical material recovery efforts in Iowa

CMI technology and a process developed at Ames National Laboratory is the foundation for the commercialization of acid-free dissolution, which is described in a documentary film described in an interview with the researcher, corporation and filmmaker on the Iowa Public Radio show River to River.

Critical Materials Innovation Hub launches collaboration with Amazon

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Ames National Laboratory and the Critical Materials Innovation (CMI) Hub announced a new collaboration with Amazon to advance technologies that recover and recycle critical materials, such as battery-grade graphite, and essential minerals that power modern technologies.

Iowa Business Podcast

CMI technology for recovering rare earth elements from electronic waste is licensed to a company in Iowa, which describes the tech and how it is being used.

Ames Lab researchers receive Outstanding Small Research Team Award from Federal Laboratory Consortium

Ames National Laboratory scientists Ikenna Nlebedim and Denis Prodius have been selected to receive a 2026 Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC) Outstanding Researcher/Small Research Team Award for their pioneering work in developing and transferring a groundbreaking acid‑free rare‑earth recycling technology.

New Midland lithium facility could produce nearly half of US lithium output

CMI scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory developed six technologies that were licensed to Element3 Resources, which has launched a new facility that can produce a lot of lithium at its new plant in Midland, Texas.

Bloomberg podcast "Odd Lots"

Podcast mentions Critical Materials Innovation Hub, Ames National Laboratory and several CMI partners.

CMI tech featured in Des Moines Register and Ames Tribune

CMI technology developed at Ames National Laboratory is described in story about company that holds exclusive license

AI-Powered National Lab collaboration launches to secure U.S. critical minerals supply

A powerful new initiative—Critical Minerals and Materials to Unlock Supply (CM2US)—is harnessing artificial intelligence to transform how the U.S. discovers, develops, and delivers the critical minerals essential to modern technologies

CMI researchers address domestic neodymium supply chain

CMI research described in story from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory about research collaboration between LLNL, Case Western Reserve University and Ames National Laboratory.