In 1997, America's last bismuth refinery shut down. 29 years later, the metal is crucial to a 240-MW nuclear reactor whose coolant supply is 82% Chinese

In 1997, the United States lost its last domestic source of primary bismuth when a Nebraska refinery closed. Nearly three decades later, the metal is an important part of the cooling system for a proposed 240-megawatt advanced nuclear reactor in the US.

The reactor, called EAGL-1, is being developed by Indianapolis-based First American Nuclear, or FANCO. The company is also proposing a facility to manufacture the reactor's uranium fuel, while EAGL-1 would use liquid lead-bismuth as its coolant, as per an Autonocion report.