【By Chen Sijia, Observer Net】Gabbro is an unremarkable rock, low-cost and abundant in supply, often used as a material for paving roads. However, the United States is trying to use this rock to reduce its reliance on critical minerals from China. According to a report by the Wall Street Journal on December 9, Silicon Valley companies are attempting to process gabbro to produce aluminum, magnesium, and other key minerals that need to be imported from China.

In Oakland, California, a startup called Brimstone is processing gabbro using its own chemical processes and off-the-shelf equipment to extract minerals. The company, founded in 2019, has raised more than $80 million in funding from investors including Amazon, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.

The report states that Brimstone is improving its process to extract magnesium, titanium, aluminum, and the key raw material for aluminum production, alumina, from gabbro and similar rocks. Brimstone's CEO Cody Finke said that the company can use the same ore, equipment, and chemical process to produce multiple minerals, with costs about 40% lower than traditional methods.

Finke said that once fully operational, energy costs could be reduced by 30% to 50%. "You have to create a process that is cheaper and more profitable, otherwise you can't bring the production back to the U.S."

Although Brimstone has set "ambitious" goals, the company still needs to prove its production capacity first. The report points out that currently, Brimstone can only produce some minerals at the laboratory stage, and titanium production is still on paper. The company has not yet built a factory capable of industrial-scale production, nor does it have any construction schedule.

The Wall Street Journal mentioned that previous studies indicated that extracting certain metals from gabbro and similar rocks is commercially unfeasible because the production process is more complex, consumes more energy, and generates a large amount of waste, making the cost very high.

Mineral extraction in the lab by Brimstone Company The Wall Street Journal

Aluminum is one of the most widely used industrial raw materials, but the U.S. has limited bauxite reserves, and its aluminum production meets less than 17% of U.S. demand. Titanium is a crucial raw material for the aerospace industry, while magnesium is widely used in components for aerospace, automotive, and other important industries. In the mining and processing of these three key minerals, China holds a dominant position.

The Wall Street Journal stated that the U.S. had previously tried to establish its own supply system for critical minerals and rare earth elements, but most of these projects lacked the ability to compete with China and failed soon after. According to data from the U.S. Geological Survey, most of the 54 minerals designated as critical in the U.S. rely on imports.

In recent years, Western countries such as the U.S. have advocated reducing dependence on China. Startups like Brimstone in Silicon Valley have proposed their own "solutions" to "break China's dominance" by producing key strategic resources domestically.

The U.S. government and private investors have increased funding for mining companies and startups. According to data provider PitchBook, venture capitalists have invested $600 million in U.S. critical mineral startups this year, setting a historical record. The Trump administration also invested hundreds of millions of dollars in related projects, and took equity stakes in U.S. rare earth company MP Materials, rare earth magnet startup Vulcan Elements, magnet recycling company ReElement Technologies, and lithium mining company Lithium Americas. The U.S. government has also signed agreements with ten countries including Ukraine, Australia, and the UAE to ensure access to critical mineral projects.

JPMorgan announced a $1.5 trillion plan in October, which includes investments in critical minerals. Lisa Gordon-Hagerty, former deputy administrator of the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration, is running a new company called Litore Partners, which announced it will provide procurement, financing, and supply services for critical minerals to the U.S. government and businesses.

Gordon-Hagerty refused to answer questions about the company's funding sources and clients, but she claimed that Litore Partners is working with U.S. allies and partners to ensure they obtain critical minerals.

The Wall Street Journal also mentioned that researchers who once participated in self-driving car development in Silicon Valley are trying to apply their mathematical models to the exploration of critical minerals. Some Western companies are trying to use artificial intelligence applications to increase the success rate of mineral exploration or find metal alloys that can simulate the properties of critical minerals.

British chemical manufacturer Milvus Advanced is developing lab-synthesized substitutes for critical minerals through machine learning. The company's founder Assia Kasdi said she buys metal salts, dissolves them in water, and then mixes them with other ingredients that have the specific characteristics needed for certain minerals. The alloy produced by this process can simulate materials such as platinum, silver, and indium.

Kasdi claimed that Milvus Advanced can produce these alloys at a cost at least 70% lower than market prices, saying, "This is the only way to compete with China."

However, some Western experts have questioned the efforts of startups, arguing that the real issue lies in the shortage of skilled workers. Corby Anderson, a mineral processing expert at Colorado School of Mines, said, "The professional skills we really lack are those with extensive experience and the ability to handle minerals. We've lost these people."

Cost issues of alternative solutions from U.S. startups are also being questioned. Gracelin Baskaran, director of the Critical Minerals Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said, "The issue isn't whether it's technically feasible, but whether it's economically viable. We all agree we need these minerals, but the key is whether it's affordable."

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Original: toutiao.com/article/7582234385429086756/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author."