Australian mineral producer Lynas Rare Earths has produced terbium oxide at its Malaysian rare earth plant, adding to its line of rare earth products, the firm announced today.
The company produced the oxide using 1,500 t/yr heavy rare earth separation circuits it built in January-March. It previously used the circuits to produce separated dysprosium at the plant in May, becoming the first producer of separated heavy rare earths outside China.
Lynas plans to eventually expand its rare earth product line to include dysprosium, terbium, and holmium concentrate, alongside unseparated samarium/europium/gadolinium and unseparated mixed heavy rare earths.
Lynas supplies its Malaysian plant with rare earth feedstock from its Mount Weld mine and Kalgoorlie processing plant in Western Australia (WA). But it may expand its feedstock sources in the future.
The company signed an initial agreement with Malaysian investment agency Menteri Besar in late May to buy mixed rare earth carbonates from developing Malaysian ionic clay deposits. It did not disclose supply volumes.
Lynas' product line expansion comes soon after US and European automakers warned that rare earth export controls could lead to assembly line shutdowns.
Lynas is developing a rare earth production plant in the US with the same capabilities as its Malaysian plant. Lynas plans to produce 2,500-3,000 t/yr of heavy rare earth products and 5,000 t/yr of light rare earth products at the site when it opens. The US government helped fund the project in 2019 through a presidential directive under the Defence Production Act.
