Tokyo, July 24th (Argus) - According to an analysis by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (Jamstec) of Japan, in a sample of rare earth mud, the medium and heavy rare earths (including yttrium, gadolinium and dysprosium) accounted for 53.9% of the total rare earth content.
The mud sample was collected from the waters near the Nantou Island under the jurisdiction of Tokyo Prefecture. Jamstec stated on July 24th that in the medium and heavy rare earth group, yttrium accounted for the largest proportion, at 29.9%, followed by gadolinium (4.9%) and dysprosium (4.6%), and the other medium and heavy rare earths accounted for a total of 14.5%.
The remaining 46.1% was light rare earths, including key magnetic material raw materials such as neodymium (18.4%) and praseodymium (4.1%).
This experiment is part of the cross-departmental strategic innovation promotion plan (SIP) of the Cabinet Office of Japan. The experiment was conducted using Jamstec's deep-sea scientific drilling ship "Chikyu" from January 12th to February 14th within the exclusive economic zone of Nantou Island, and the mud sample was collected from the seabed at a depth of 5,569 meters. Jamstec stated that after removing the added seawater in the experiment, the volume of the recovered rare earth mud was calculated to be approximately 50 tons.
Jamstec said that no significant levels of harmful or radioactive substances were detected in the recovered mud sample. The institution has not yet released the specific weight or concentration of the rare earths contained in the mud sample.
Jamstec plans to conduct a comprehensive demonstration experiment lasting about one month starting from February 2027. The mud slurry extracted from the seabed will be dehydrated at Nantou Island and then transported to Japan. At that time, tests will be conducted on the separation, refining and smelting processes as well as industrial-scale operation. The Cabinet Office and other departments aim to complete a comprehensive evaluation including economic assessment by March 2028.
Medium and heavy rare earths are indispensable scarce metals for cutting-edge high-tech products such as magnetic materials used in electric vehicle drive motors. With the growth in demand for electric vehicles and other high-end fields, ensuring supply has become increasingly important.
