Xerion's breakthrough metal refinement technology, DirectPlate, makes TIME Magazine's Best Inventions of 2025 list
For decades, the U.S. has relied entirely on foreign refineries—mainly in China—for cobalt, an essential element in EV batteries, fighter jet engines, and other critical technology. That began to change in April, when Xerion Advanced Battery Corp opened a pilot plant using a new refining approach in Dayton, Ohio. Xerion's DirectPlate technology uses electricity and molten salt to extract pure cobalt directly from raw materials in a single step, simplifying the complex—and far more expensive—process employed overseas. CEO John Busbee says DirectPlate puts the U.S. on the path to rebuild “mineral independence.” Xerion plans to scale production up to 2,000 tons of cobalt annually by early 2027, about 25% of current U.S. demand for the lustrous blue element.
