Rare earths processing occurs in two main stages. The first involves extracting the rare earths from ores containing other minerals and concentrating them into a mixed rare earth concentrate or carbonate. The second is a more complex stage that separates the rare earths into individual oxide compounds. From there the products are turned into metals used to produce magnets.
Lynas Rare Earths
Lynas Rare Earths is the world’s biggest supplier of rare earths compounds outside China, from its Mount Weld mine in Australia. It has processing operations in Australia and Malaysia and is building a heavy rare earths processing plant in Texas, with the help of $288 million in US defense funding, expected to come online in fiscal 2026. It will be able to process third-party material.
Solvay
Belgian chemicals maker Solvay is expanding rare earths processing at its La Rochelle operations in France, aiming to launch separation and…
