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.

CMI selects four projects through OIP process

Focus Areas

Diversifying Supply

Developing Substitutes

Driving Reuse and Recycling

Crosscutting Research

News & Highlights

All News | All Highlights

In the News

Department of Energy Critical Materials Institute selects four projects to support critical materials supply chain innovation

News Release

Critical Materials Institute names four projects to support innovation in the nation’s critical materials supply chain

Hysteresis loops (top) for L10 FeNi as synthesized (black) and treated with concentrated HCl (red), demonstrating enhanced remanence and coercivity; bottom panel shows exceptional temperature dependence of coercivities in FeNi (red).

Research Highlight

High-performance critical-element-free permanent magnets

News Release

Making it tougher: Samarium cobalt magnet improvements planned in Ames Lab partnership

Hysteresis loops for Sm2Fe17 nitrided at 1 bar N2 pressure, yielding incomplete nitrogenation and low coercivity (red), and for sample nitrided at 100 bar, yielding full nitrogenation to Sm2Fe17N3 with ~ 8 kOe coercivity.

Research Highlight

Sm2Fe17N3 as a cost-effective high-performance magnet

CMI Speeds Innovation

150

Invention Disclosures

R&D 100 Awards

U.S. Patents

Licensed Technologies

Learn more about our public-private partnerships

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.

About CMI
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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