So far in this series, pretty much every material we’ve covered has had to undergo a significant industrial process to transform it from its natural state to a more useful product. Whether it’s the ...

Two weeks after shutting down its Spruce Pine facilities ahead of Hurricane Helene, Belgian mining company Sibelco announced Thursday it has restarted operations in the Western North Carolina town ...

The world’s main producer of high-purity quartz, a mineral crucial to the global supply of semiconductor chips, announced its shuttered Spruce Pine, North Carolina, mines have endured “minor damage,” ...

Hurricane Helene swept across the Southeast, causing major flooding and destruction throughout North Carolina. Here is ongoing coverage from The News & Observer and The Charlotte Observer about ...

Spruce Pine, North Carolina, has most of the world’s high-quality quartz, a mineral essential for the semiconductors used in smartphones, laptops, and AI chips. Spruce Pine, North Carolina received ...

An aerial look at the quartz mines in Spruce Pine, North Carolina, taken prior to Tropical Storm Helene. Google Maps The world’s main producer of high-purity quartz, a mineral crucial to the global ...

An aerial look at the quartz mines in Spruce Pine, North Carolina, taken prior to Tropical Storm Helene. Google Maps Hurricane Helene swept across the Southeast, causing major flooding and destruction ...