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  • Cheetah Resources Nechalacho REE rare earth elements separation facility Canada

    Vital to rethink Nechalacho mine plan

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jun 8, 2023

    The ore sorter at Vital Metals Ltd.'s Nechalacho rare earths project in Canada's Northwest Territories is able to upgrade lower-grade ore into concentrates viable for shipping to the company's soon-to-be-completed processing facility in Saskatchewan for further upgrading to a mixed rare earths carbonate ready to be separated into the individual rare earths used in a broad range of high-tech and industrial applications. This means Vital will be able to produce more rare earths...

  • MP Materials’ future rare earths magnet and alloys plant in Texas.

    Texas rare earths magnet plant coming

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Apr 16, 2023

    By the end of next year, the powerful rare earth magnets vital to efficiently transform motion into electricity in wind turbines and electricity into motion in electric vehicles are expected to be rolling off the assembly line at a new 200,000-square-foot facility that MP Materials Corp. is building in Fort Worth, Texas. During a ceremony that attracted Texas lawmakers, General Motors executives, and even a GMC Hummer EV that benefits from the type of rare earth magnets that...

  • Rare earths include 15 individual elements found on the periodic table.

    Elk Creek deposit proves to be rare earth

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Apr 16, 2023

    An updated feasibility study for developing a mine at Elk Creek confirms that the proposed niobium-titanium-scandium mine in Nebraska also boasts one of the richest stores of rare earth elements in the United States. According to the new report released by NioCorp Developments Ltd. on May 19, Elk Creek hosts 632,900 metric tons of total rare earth oxides, 970,300 metric tons of niobium oxide, along with 11,337 metric tons of scandium oxide and 4.2 million metric tons of...

  • Suspended from the rail above, the Red Rail glides from the station.

    China unveils first suspended maglev train

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Apr 16, 2023

    Without any outside forces, a sky train levitates 30 feet above the ground in China's Jiangxi Province, thanks to the powerful forces of rare earth permanent magnets. Unlike magnetic levitation trains that float on a cushion of magnetic resistivity below, the world-first air train effortlessly floats from a rail above. With permanent rare earth magnets on both the rail and an arm above the "Red Rail" train resisting each other, the train can levitate above the ground below,...

  • View across South Saskatchewan River; the Saskatoon city skyline at night.

    A rare earth supply chain master link

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Apr 16, 2023

    Summit spotlights Saskatoon as an emerging rare earths hub in North America Saskatoon, a small city in the heart of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, is emerging as the master link in a North American rare earth supply chain with connections in Canada, Australia, Europe, and the United States. This city of just over 300,000 people on the Canadian Prairies is not gaining notoriety as a major North American rare earth hub due to rich deposits of this suite of 15 enigmatic...

  • Rock hammer size reference of rare earth-bearing rock samples at Sheep Creek.

    High-grade rare earths project emerges

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Apr 16, 2023

    Sheep Creek rare earths project in Montana hosts 13 US critical metals With the transition to electric vehicles charged with low-carbon energy shining a spotlight on America's need for secure and reliable supplies of critical minerals, the Sheep Creek project in southwestern Montana has emerged as a potential high-grade domestic source of nine rare earths and four other metals that have been deemed critical to the United States. High-grade rare earths were found at Sheep...

  • A large multi-mast ship sailing on the open ocean on a clear day.

    EV magnet rare earth price set to sail

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Apr 16, 2023

    Adamas forecasts NdPr prices to hit $150/kg to ensure supply keeps pace with auto demand Despite a widely held belief that soaring neodymium-praseodymium prices would press automakers to look at alternatives to these rare earths for magnets going into electric vehicles, Adamas Intelligence forecasts that NdPr oxide prices will double by the end of the decade. NdPr is a combination of the rare earths neodymium and praseodymium used in the powerful neodymium-iron-boron magnets...

  • Red Tesla Model 3 electric vehicle traveling a California highway near LA.

    Win-win solid-state battery discovery

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Dec 6, 2022

    Energy-dense, stable ceramic lithium battery electrolyte offers new use for a plentiful rare earth element. In what could be a win-win discovery for the future of long-range electric vehicles and the rare earths mining sector, engineers at California-based American Elements have invented a ceramic electrolyte material for use in solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries. Lithium-sulfur batteries can store somewhere between two and five times as much energy by weight than the curren...

  • Rock hammer on a pile of rare earths-enriched rocks at Sheep Creek in Montana.

    US Critical Materials explores Sheep Creek

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Nov 1, 2022

    Begins systematic investigation of overlooked rare earths project in SW Montana. To gain a deeper understanding of the high-grade rare earth mineralization coming to surface at Sheep Creek, and investigate the potential for a larger deposit of this group of technology elements, US Critical Metals Corp. and US Critical Materials Corp. are carrying out detailed mapping and sampling of this overlooked and underexplored project in southwestern Montana. While high-grade rare...

  • Molten rare earth metal being poured into ingot molds.

    Canada first, SRC pours rare earth metal

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Aug 31, 2022

    Major step along the path to establishing Saskatchewan as rare earths hub In another milestone along the path to establishing a major rare earths hub in Saskatchewan, the province announced that the Saskatchewan Research Council poured the first rare earth metal ingots ever in Canada at the REE processing, separations, and metals facility it is developing near the city of Saskatoon. Saskatchewan's mission to become a leader in rare earths processing and production began with...

  • Vivid green northern lights display over mining equipment operating at night.

    Major funding for Vital rare earths plan

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Aug 12, 2022

    Vital Metals Ltd. has received an AU$45 million (US$31.6 million) infusion of cash to fund its expanding rare earths business in Canada. "Vital Metals is on the threshold of becoming North America's only company capable of producing a refined rare earth product from its own mine, completing our transition from exploration and development to production and operations," said Vital Metals Managing Director Geoff Atkins. "This is an important milestone, not only in the development...

  • Bottles of erbium, neodymium, and cerium REE oxides produced in Saskatchewan.

    Saskatchewan increases REE plant funding

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jul 12, 2022

    To further support its strategy to establish Saskatchewan as a major hub for North America's rare earth supply chain, the provincial government is investing an additional C$20 million (US$15.5 million) into the rare earth processing facility that Saskatchewan Research Council is developing near Saskatoon. In the fall of 2020, the Saskatchewan government invested an initial C$31 million (US$24 million) for SRC to build the first facility in North America capable of upgrading...

  • Piles of rare earth element oxides with many high-tech and industrial purposes.

    It's OK, USA Rare Earth plant coming soon

    Shane Lasley, Mining News|Updated Jul 12, 2022

    The rare earth magnets that help wind turbines transform a breeze into low-carbon electricity and then convert that energy to horsepower in the motors of electric vehicles will soon be made in Oklahoma. On June 9, USA Rare Earth LLC announced it bought a 309,0000-square-foot building in Stillwater, an Oklahoma city that boasts a growing high-tech economy, to house its rare earth elements processing and magnets plant. "Oklahoma has long been on the cutting edge of energy...

  • Smartphone and computer screen showing Lynas Rare Earths’ locations.

    Lynas Rare Earths lands $120M DoD deal

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jul 12, 2022

    The United States Department of Defense is investing US$120 million to fund a heavy rare earths separation facility to be owned and operated by Lynas USA LLC, a subsidiary of Australia-based Lynas Rare Earths Ltd. This facility is to be built alongside a light rare earths separation facility that is being co-funded by the Pentagon and Lynas. "The U.S. Government's selection of Lynas for this strategic contract reflects our proven track record in Rare Earths production," said...

  • Energy Fuels White Mesa rare earths, uranium and vanadium mill in Utah.

    A critical minerals week for Energy Fuels

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jul 12, 2022

    Over the course of one monumental week, Energy Fuels Inc. shipped a trifecta of mineral products critical to the production, storage, and use of low-carbon energy in the United States from its White Mesa Mill in southern Utah. "This week, our vision of Energy Fuels as 'America's Critical Mineral and Clean Energy Hub' tangibly advanced, as our White Mesa Mill in Utah sent three shipments of advanced materials containing a total of fifteen critical elements," said Energy Fuels...

  • DoD MP Materials Pentagon contract Mountain Pass California Mojave Desert REE

    Pentagon invests in heavy rare earths

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jul 12, 2022

    Part of a much larger critical minerals investment and strategy unveiled by the Biden administration on Feb. 22, the Pentagon has awarded MP Materials Corp. a $35 million contract to commercially separate and refine heavy rare earth elements at its Mountain Pass Mine. Located in California's Mojave Desert, Mountain Pass is currently the only mine in the United States that produces rare earths, a group of 17 elements critical to a wide array of technologies used for industrial...

  • MP Materials' future rare earths magnet facility in Texas.

    GM secures American rare earth magnets

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jul 12, 2022

    To secure a long-term domestic supply of the rare earths needed to build electric vehicles in North America, General Motors has entered into a binding agreement to buy REE materials and magnets to be produced at a new facility MP Materials Corp. is building in Fort Worth, Texas. "We are building a resilient and sustainable EV manufacturing value chain in North America, from raw materials to cell manufacturing to electric drive motors and beyond, further accelerating GM's...

  • USA Rare Earth magnet critical minerals gallium battery metals supply chain

    Texas tech metals deposit critical to US

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jul 12, 2022

    The proposed list of 50 critical minerals unveiled by the U.S. Geological Survey in November shined a light on how dependent the United States is on foreign countries for rare earth elements and a broad array of other technology metals vital to electric vehicles, clean energy, high-tech, and other industrial sectors. The enormous Round Top deposit in the West Texas desert hosts nearly half of the minerals and metals deemed critical to America's economic wellbeing and national...

  • USA Rare Earth Search Minerals neodymium praseodymium REE rare earths MOU

    Search, USA Rare Earth strengthen alliance

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jul 12, 2022

    With their sights set on establishing a complete and sustainable North American rare earths supply chain, Search Minerals Inc. and USA Rare Earth LLC have entered into an agreement for the offtake of 500 metric tons per year of neodymium and praseodymium from the future production at Search's Deep Fox or Foxtrot deposits in Labrador, Canada. Enriched with the magnet rare earths neodymium and praseodymium, mixed rare earth carbonates produced at Search's Deep Fox and Foxtrot de...

  • REEtec Norway Vital Metals Canada rare earth elements neodymium praseodymium

    REEtec to purchase more Vital rare earths

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jul 12, 2022

    In another move that demonstrates rare earths production at Nechalacho is scaling up faster than originally anticipated, Vital Metals Ltd. and REEtec AS have amended their offtake agreement to increase the sales of rare earths product sold to REEtec by 50%. A Norway-based company that has developed an efficient and environmentally sound technology to separate the notoriously interlocked rare earths into the individual elements needed for high-tech and industrial applications,...

  • REE separation facility RapidSX Alaska2023 SMC rare earth elements Ucore

    Ucore secures Vital rare earths supply

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jul 12, 2022

    On the heels of a deal to sell more rare earths carbonate to Norway-based REEtec, Vital Metals Ltd. has entered into a separate agreement to sell some of this midstream REE product produced in Saskatchewan to Ucore Rare Metals Inc, a company advancing the development of a rare earths separation facility in Alaska. "This agreement is an important and exciting entrance into the North American downstream rare earth supply chain," said Vital Metals Managing Director Geoff Atkins....

  • electric motor rare earth elements REE magnets recycling GM General Motors

    GM, GE join forces for rare earths supply

    A.J. Roan, Metal Tech News|Updated Jul 12, 2022

    With the global transition to electric vehicles charged with renewable energy creating massive new demands for rare earth materials and magnets, copper, and electrical steel, General Motors and GE Renewable Energy are working together to evaluate opportunities to improve supplies of the materials critical to a low-carbon future. "A secure, sustainable and resilient local supply chain for electric vehicle materials is critical to the execution of GM's vision of an all-electric...

  • Bear Lodge Wyoming rare earth elements REE Rare Element Resources map DOE

    Rare earths project reemerges in Wyoming

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Oct 19, 2021

    When China severely cut exports of rare earths following a dispute with Japan in 2010, Rare Element Resources Ltd. and its Bear Lodge project in Wyoming rose as one of the top candidates for offering a domestic supply of this group of elements critical to a wide range of high-tech, energy, and defense applications. After fading into obscurity for the better part of five years due to poor market conditions, Rare Element and Bear Lodge are back in business. This revival of the...

  • Vital Metals Nechalacho Canada rare earth elements REE Northwest Territories

    Bonanza grade rare earths at Nechalacho

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Oct 5, 2021

    Crews at Vital Metals Ltd.'s Nechalacho rare earths project in Canada's Northwest Territories are mining zones of ore with such high grades that there is no need to upgrade it with the on-site ore sorter – just simply dig, crush, and bag for shipping to the company's processing facility in Saskatchewan. Mining is currently being carried out at North T, a particularly high-grade deposit within Nechalacho Upper Zone, which hosts 94.7 million metric tons of Australian Joint...

  • National Institute of Information and Communications Technology Japan

    Rare earths enable record internet speeds

    A.J. Roan, Metal Tech News|Updated Jul 20, 2021

    With a boost from fiber optic cables laced with rare earths such as erbium and thulium, researchers at Japan's National Institute of Information and Communications Technology were able to transmit 319 terabits of data per second over cables stretching 3,001 kilometers (1,865 miles), crushing any previous records in speed over such a long distance. This not only smashes the previous record of an already jaw-dropping 178 Tb/s, according to NCIT, the technology is also...

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