USA Rare Earth said on Tuesday it has successfully produced a sample of dysprosium oxide (Dy₂O₃) with a purity of 99.1 wt.%. The company said this marks a breakthrough in domestic rare earth production.

The dysprosium oxide sample was produced using ore from the Texas Round Top deposit and USA Rare Earth’s proprietary rare earth extraction and purification technology, developed at its Wheat Ridge, Colorado research facility.  

Verified by a third-party ISO 17025 certified lab, the company said this demonstrates its ability to extract and process high-purity rare earth oxides from its Texas Round Top deposit. 

The production of dysprosium oxide is significant due to its critical role in advanced technologies that rely on the unique properties of heavy rare earth elements, USA Rare Earth said. Dysprosium is a key component in technologies such as semiconductors, as well as in many NdFeB rare earth magnets. 

NdFeB magnets are essential for high-efficiency electric vehicle motors, wind turbine generators, and advanced defense systems, including missile guidance and control systems, among other technologies.  

This month, USA Rare Earth produced the first batch of sintered permanent rare earth magnets at its new plant under development in Stillwater, Oklahoma.  

“In addition to dysprosium oxide, our team has now produced a variety of rare earth elements, including terbium and the light rare earth element neodymium, among others,” CEO Joshua Ballard said in a news release. 

We’re excited about the progress we’ve made in bringing this processing capability back home to the United States.”  

Source: MINING.COM – Read More