New Solution For Critical Minerals: Recycling, Not Conflict Zones

The article discusses a new, sustainable approach to sourcing critical minerals essential for technologies like electric vehicles and solar cells, emphasizing recycling over reliance on geopolitically risky overseas mining. Critics have challenged US President Donald Trump’s plan to secure critical minerals from foreign conflict zones, highlighting the dangers involved. Instead, a Texas-based startup named Supra has developed an innovative cartridge-style filter that recovers high-purity critical minerals from industrial, mining, and electronics waste. This technology reportedly offers up to 100 times greater selectivity and speed compared to traditional refining methods, addressing the high costs and environmental issues associated with extracting rare earth elements from virgin sources. Supra’s cartridge is a 3D-printed, reusable device created through advances in supramolecular chemistry, materials science, and fluid dynamics. Supported by a $2 million pre-seed funding round involving investors such as Crucible Capital and the University of Texas (UT), the technology combines solvent extraction and ion exchange methods to efficiently separate and refine critical minerals without producing