1,800-acre US facility to convert dead magnets into critical rare earths

Australia-based Ionic Rare Earths Limited (IonicRE) and US Strategic Metals (USSM) have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop a vertically integrated rare earth production facility on an 1,800-acre site in Missouri. The project will use IonicRE’s patented hydro-metallurgical magnet recycling technology to extract and refine critical rare earth elements from end-of-life permanent magnets, including neodymium-iron-boron and samarium-cobalt types. This facility aims to produce high-purity rare earth oxides such as neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, terbium, samarium, gadolinium, and holmium, supporting high-tech sectors like electric vehicles, wind turbines, and advanced manufacturing. The initiative emphasizes building a resilient, sustainable, and ex-China rare earth supply chain within the United States, leveraging a circular economy model previously demonstrated by IonicRE in the UK. The recycling process reportedly reduces carbon emissions by up to 61% compared to traditional mining and