Carbon Capture: Solvent, Sorbent, and Cryogenic technologies review - Arup

With support from U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Laboratories, including Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Texas-based company Element3 has launched the first domestic lithium mining project in 50 years. This achievement is likely to have a big impact, turning the United States from a net importer of lithium to a country well on the path to greater energy independence, national security, and economic strength. The milestone, in February 2026, came less than a year after DOE launched the Minerals to Materials Supply Chain Research Facility, or METALLIC, in April 2025. The facility builds on DOE demonstration testbeds to speed technologies that strengthen the nation's supply chain of minerals critical to the technology, transportation, and defense industries. It provides experts and tools to de-risk development of these critical minerals technologies.

Researchers at the University of Alberta predict a new quantum sensor could detect magnetic fields as weak as 24 aT/√Hz in just 10 minutes. This sensitivity, achieved with a 10 W ultraviolet laser, has the potential to surpass that of current cryogenic magnetometers, devices that require extremely low temperatures to operate. The analysis reveals that a relative intensity noise of -100 dBc/Hz is important for optimal performance, guiding efforts to either increase laser power or minimize noise. The approach uses a noble gas, eliminating the need for alkali vapors and enabling hours-long spin relaxation at room temperature.

NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) systems are analytical instruments used to examine the composition and molecular structure of pharmaceuticals, chemical materials, and food products. Using the same magnetic resonance principle as MRI systems used in medical applications, they support research, development, and quality evaluation. High-performance NMR systems, however, are typically large and burdensome to install and maintain. To address this issue, AISIN leveraged the superconducting and ultra-low-temperature refrigeration technologies it had cultivated over many years. Through research with RIKEN and joint development of the system’s spectrometer with JEOL Ltd., it commercialized the world’s first* compact, high-performance NMR system.*1 The first commercialized 200 MHz-class NMR system utilizing a bulk superconducting magnet. In its 2028 Medium-Term Management Plan, AISIN has set out to strengthen its earning power while continuing to invest in future growth. This initiative is an effort to turn the groundwork laid through years of research into value that can be put to use in society and developed into a new business.