MTM Critical Metals Ltd (ASX: MTM) shares are ending the week with a bang.
In morning trade, the small cap ASX mining stock is up 38% to 9.4 cents
Why is this ASX mining stock rocketing?
The catalyst for today's impressive gain has been the announcement of a "significant milestone" from the mining technology company.
According to the release, the company has signed a strategic collaboration with Indium Corporation. It is one of the Western world's leading suppliers of refined gallium, germanium, indium, and other specialty technology metals.
The collaboration aims to create a U.S.-based processing solution using MTM Critical Metals' innovative Flash Joule Heating (FJH) technology to recover high-value metals from various scrap sources.
The ASX mining stock's FJH technology utilises the principle of electrical resistance to generate intense heat within materials almost instantaneously. This process involves passing a direct current through a material, where the resistance of the material itself converts electrical energy into heat energy.
The end result is a rapid increase in temperature, often exceeding 3,000 degrees Celsius in milliseconds, which is a phenomenon known as flashing.
The release notes that by establishing an onshore processing capability, the partnership will address strategic vulnerabilities in the U.S. supply chain. This will reduce reliance on imports from China, which currently dominates global supply and processing of these metals and has previously curtailed supply by restricting exports of refined metals.
It also highlights that this initiative aligns with U.S. efforts to establish a secure domestic supply of critical materials. Testing on Indium-supplied feedstocks is already underway at the ASX mining stock's Texas-based laboratory.
'A significant milestone'
The company's CEO, Michael Walshe, was delighted with the agreement. He said:
We are thrilled to partner with Indium, a global leader in critical technology metals, to secure a U.S.-based supply of metals essential to the defence, semiconductor, and high-tech industries. This collaboration represents a significant milestone for our company, providing strong external validation of our technology. Together, we are tackling supply chain vulnerabilities with an innovative approach to efficiently recover critical metals domestically, advancing U.S. efforts towards critical metal independence.
Also commenting on the deal was Indium's global business unit manager, Markus Roas. He said:
This partnership with MTM aligns with our commitment to enhancing U.S.-based supply chains for critical metals essential to modern technologies. FJH technology offers a novel and sustainable solution to recover these vital elements from waste materials, ensuring reliable access without relying on external sources.
We are excited to support this collaboration in addressing the strategic needs of our country. At Indium, we believe that secondary raw materials and urban mining will become key pillars for the future, and we are excited to support this collaboration in addressing the strategic needs of our industry.
