Novel Chemical Separation Technique for Domestic Supply of Critical Rare Earth Elements from Discarded Mining Waste

Rare earth metals are mission critical to securing US national security and ensuring the US Air Force has the tools and technology to keep the nation safe. Neodymium is critical for permanent magnets used in electric vehicle motors and missile guidance systems. Europium is used to develop the next generation of laser weapons technology. Praseodymium is crucial to new satellite communication and weapons technology. Currently, the US gets 91% of its rare earth elements from China as there is no domestic supply chain. Rare earths are produced in a 4 step process; mining, concentration, separation, and metalization. In recent years, there has been downstream development in mining and concentration of rare earths, but this concentrate must still be processed in China. Phoenix Tailings is the only US company with the technology to take rare earth concentrate from mining waste and other sources, and process it into the final metal needed for technology development. By developing this technology, Phoenix Tailings will ensure a stable supply of the materials needed to develop next generation combat vehicles, missile defense systems, and communication networks.