Momentum Technologies and the Future of U.S. Critical Minerals

Mahesh Konduru, CEO of Momentum Technologies, joined “The Green Insider” to discuss critical minerals and their impact on the economy and various industries. With 25 years of experience, Mahesh shared his background in chemical engineering and his focus on commercializing technologies in the material science space. He emphasized the growing importance of critical minerals, especially in light of recent news about their use and the situation in Ukraine.

Highlights from episode 317 are:

Momentum Technologies focuses on developing solutions to recover and process critical minerals domestically in the U.S., reducing reliance on foreign supply chains, particularly China.
Critical minerals are essential for consumer electronics, medical technology, mobility, and defense applications.
The company processes and sells battery materials such as lithium, nickel, and cobalt, which are priced on public commodity exchanges, as well as rare earth elements with lower trading volumes.
Rare earth metals used in magnets include neodymium, praseodymium, terbium, and dysprosium, which are key to advanced magnetic materials.
Momentum Technologies advances rare earth magnet recycling using sources such as end‑of‑life products, manufacturing scrap, and mining tailings.
Recycling rare earth materials has become more economically viable due to technological advancements and increased industry focus.
The company’s processing technology is described as more efficient and environmentally friendly compared to traditional large‑scale methods.
Momentum Technologies operates a demonstration plant in Carrollton, Texas, and plans to build two additional plants: one in Ohio for battery materials and another for rare earth element recovery (Dallas area or the California–Nevada border).
The planned facilities aim to be operational by early 2027, supporting U.S. supply‑chain resilience and national security.