US Company Produces Critical Rare Earth Material Domestically, First in Decades

Mining company Energy Fuels announced March 26 it had successfully produced its first kilogram of terbium oxide at its Utah project, becoming the first U.S. company to produce the compound domestically in decades. The company reported achieving a purity of 99.9 percent of the terbium oxide—a sought-after rare earth compound needed for batteries and electronics—at its White Mesa Mill using monazite ore sourced in the United States. “This success proves we can process and produce high purity ‘heavy’ rare earth oxides economically and at scale in the U.S.,” said Energy Fuels CEO Mark Chalmers. “North America will soon have a reliable and secure U.S. commercial source of these vital critical materials ensuring availability for high-performance magnet and defense technologies.”...