Critical minerals refiner ReElement Technologies began commercial shipments of magnet-grade rare earth (RE) elements, as it looks to scale operations by expanding an Indiana facility and deepening its presence in Africa.
The Indiana-based company manufactured heavy and light RE oxides primarily from recycled feedstock sourced primarily from end-of-life permanent magnets used in wind turbines and electric vehicles at its 700m2 facility in Noblesville, ReElement commercial marketing officer David Sauve told Argus on Wednesday.
ReElement did not disclose how much product has been sent to customers since shipments began last week, only noting that Noblesville, Indiana, has daily output capacities of 5-10kg for RE oxides and 15-25kg of battery-grade lithium carbonate.
The company is transitioning operations to its 50,000m2 refinery in Marion, Indiana, which will be able to turn out 2,000 metric tonnes (t)/yr of RE oxides and 5,000t/yr of battery-grade lithium in either carbonate or hydroxide form when first-phase production begins by year-end, Sauve said.
Marion will have the capability to process feedstock from ores, in addition to recycled sources.
ReElement also entered into a partnership with South Africa-based Novare Holdings to invest $100mn in building out refining capacity of critical minerals in Africa. The companies currently are working to pick a location for their first facility, expecting to start developing the site in 2025's second half.
Under the agreement, ReElement will provide its chromatography-based separation and purification technology, along with project management expertise, while Novare will supply funding and operational oversight.
Capacity figures for the African plant have yet to be determined, Sauve said. Feedstock will come from local and regional sources.
Joining the antimony rush
ReElement plans to add antimony products to its suite of offerings, looking to capitalize on a high-margin opportunity and help fill a void after China banned shipments of the metal to the US.
Prices for 99.65pc antimony metal have surged by more than 150pc since late August, when China first implemented export restrictions that effectively cut off supply from the world's largest source, according to Argus data.
The company in late January expanded its relationship with a South Africa supplier from whom ReElement will source antimony-bearing ore to refine into antimony sulfide and antimony oxide. It already has processed ore samples into sulfide at Noblesville and expects to add commercial-scale production capacity at Marion.
Sauve added that ReElement's modular technology could be co-located with "downstream manufacturers of antimony-containing military applications," as well.
The company plans to take 1,000t/month of ore initially, saying that total could grow based on market needs.
