Niocorp Developments Ltd (NB)

[Middleborder]

Chico, Douginil, Boilermaker, all:

https://spectrum.ieee.org/energywise/energy/nuclear/nuclear-fusiontokamak-not-included

SNIP.... "The team believes that their method, called lattice confinement fusion, could be a potential new power source for deep space missions. They have published their results in two papers in Physical Review C.

“Lattice confinement” refers to the lattice structure formed by the atoms making up a piece of solid metal. The NASA group used samples of erbium and titanium for their experiments. Under high pressure, a sample was “loaded” with deuterium gas, an isotope of hydrogen with one proton and one neutron. The metal confines the deuterium nuclei, called deuterons, until it’s time for fusion.

“During the loading process, the metal lattice starts breaking apart in order to hold the deuterium gas,” says Theresa Benyo, an analytical physicist and nuclear diagnostics lead on the project. “The result is more like a powder.” At that point, the metal is ready for the next step: overcoming the mutual electrostatic repulsion between the positively-charged deuteron nuclei, the so-called Coulomb barrier. "

More at link.

Titanium is neither rare nor expensive but this is still a potential use for a NioCorp mineral. (Years off IF if pans out!)

There are dozens of new technologies that never end up being used after investigation.