HOUSTON, January 21 (Argus) - ReElement Technologies, an American producer of rare earth and critical minerals, said it has produced samarium oxide with a purity of over 99.9% from recycled and raw ore materials.
The company plans to produce samarium on a commercial scale for commercial and defense applications, particularly for samarium cobalt magnet materials used in aircraft, ammunition, communication systems and electric motors.
ReElement has two factories in Marion, Indiana and Noblesville, Indiana in the United States. Currently, it is collaborating with several companies to produce rare earth magnets.
The company has reached an agreement with the American magnet producer Vulcan Elements to collaborate on processing scrapped magnets, electronic waste and mined concentrates into high-purity rare earth oxides. In November last year, the two companies received a $700 million joint conditional loan commitment from the US Department of Defense for expanding magnet production.
ReElement and the South Korean company POSCO plan to develop a comprehensive rare earth and permanent magnet production complex in the United States. POSCO is responsible for rare earth procurement and magnet production, while ReElement is expected to provide separation, refining and recycling technologies for the project.
Mark Jensen, the CEO of ReElement, said the company expects to expand the production capacity of its Marion factory and other partner factories in 2026.
