Lynas bets on new rare earths products, breaking China stranglehold

livemint.com:

Lynas Rare Earths plans to separate two heavy rare earths used in electric vehicles and electronic gadgets at its plant in Malaysia, a step that could help to loosen China’s grip on markets for the critical materials. The Australia-listed company has designed a new process that will for the first time produce separated dysprosium and terbium at the plant, from which it ships rare-earth materials to customers in the U.S., Europe and East Asia. China essentially refines all the world’s heavy rare earths today.

Dysprosium and terbium are soft metals that are often used in magnets to help them run better at higher temperatures. Each also has other uses, spanning defense technologies to nuclear reactors to lighting. They are listed as critical minerals in a number of countries, including in the U.S.

Those rare earths have to date been sold by Lynas to Chinese separators as part of a mixed compound that includes other heavy rare-earth oxides. Lynas produces light rare earths including neodymium and praseodymium, which are used in magnets as well. This is “the first step towards offering an expanded suite of heavy rare-earth products," Chief Executive Amanda Lacaze said Thursday.

Lynas has been seeking to increase its production capacity to feed what it expects will be a steadily growing market for rare earths, especially from sources outside of China. The company is separately advancing preconstruction activities for a planned processing facility in Texas, which will separate both heavy and light rare earths, it said. The U.S.