Rare Earth Pilot Process Development Plant to Open in US

Exploration firm Texas Mineral Resources Corp. (TMRC) and funding and development partner USA Rare Earth LLC are planning to open a new pilot process development facility for rare earth and critical minerals in Wheat Ridge, CO within the next 90 days, the companies announced in a release Monday. 

Using continuous ion exchange/continuous ion chromatography (CIX/CIC) processing technology, the site will develop processes to separate and purify rare earth and other technology metals from polymetallic ore. The site will also feature analytical capabilities and test equipment. USA Rare Earth’s Round Top facility in Texas will supply ore to the pilot plant. 

“The Denver area has long been the center of mineral technology for the United States and offers excellent infrastructure and support for the mining industry,” Dan Gorski, chief executive officer of TMRC, said in a statement. “We look forward to being able to efficiently utilize the resources of such diverse institutions as the Colorado School of Mines, the United States Geological Survey (USGS), and other locally based groups as our project advances.”

Once operational, the pilot plant will process and purify up to 26 different elements, including lithium, zirconium, gallium, and beryllium. 

“The Wheat Ridge pilot plant is the second piece of a 100%-U.S.-based rare earth oxide supply chain, drawing on feedstock from our Round Top heavy rare earth deposit in southwest Texas,” Pini Althaus, chief executive officer of USA Rare Earth, said in the release. “Taken together, we believe Round Top and our pilot plant constitute essential links in restoring a domestic U.S. rare earth supply chain, extracting rare earths and processing them into individual RRE oxides – without the material leaving the United States, thereby alleviating the current dependence on China for both raw materials and mineral processing.”

In May this year, a joint venture between Australian mining company Lynas Corporation Ltd. and American rare earths processing firm Blue Line Corporation said they plan to open a new rare earths separation plant in Texas. When the new rare earths separation plant opens at Blue Line’s Hondo, TX site, the joint venture will be the biggest non-Chinese firm to produce separated medium and heavy rare earth products. The plant will initially separate heavy rare earths, including Terbium and Dysprosium, and possibly expand into light rare earths products in the coming years. 

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