US companies are focusing on increasing domestic production of rare earth elements.

For years, China has controlled the global market for Rare Earth Elements. Now, the U.S. is making efforts to reduce its dependence on Chinese supply by establishing its own facilities and employing eco-friendly manufacturing methods.

"Scott Dunn, CEO of Noveon Magnetics, stated that the foreign dependency is a reality and it's not improving. He emphasized that significant investments of time and money are necessary to address this issue."

Noveon Magnetics is aiding in the increase of domestic Rare Earth Magnet production through a sustainable method.

Dunn stated that we skip the entire chain and directly take waste magnetic material into magnet manufacturing to produce a finished product that meets market requirements.

Most of the world's Rare Earth Elements are not recycled and end up in landfills.

"Dunn stated that most of the material is not recovered and is discarded, making it difficult to handle. These materials have a lower weight percentage compared to other metals that may be more easily recoverable."

Noveon is working to reverse the supply chain on China by using recycled magnets to produce new ones. These magnets will be used in various products such as cars, medical equipment, and renewable power generation.

"Dunn stated that they disassemble motors, generators, and other components to create new hybrid vehicles."

By recycling rare earth magnets, the process of manufacturing these materials can be simplified, reducing the need for strict environmental regulations such as mining, separation, and alloy manufacturing.

During his State of the State address this year, Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott emphasized the importance of embracing innovation like Noveon to make Texas more self-reliant and secure its future, rather than relying on China.

Dunn relocated his company from Delaware to Texas, stating that the state has been beneficial for manufacturing. He suggests that more efforts should be made to aid U.S. companies in increasing production as the demand for magnets continues to rise.

"Rare Earth Magnets were initially used only for hard disk drives, but as technology advances towards electric, high-tech, and low carbon solutions, the magnet's role is becoming more significant in various technologies."

The mining company U.S. Critical Materials and the Idaho National Laboratory are concentrating on addressing a shortage in the Rare Earth supply chain.

Edward Cowle, U.S. Critical Materials Executive Chairman, stated that we will utilize advanced technology.

One of 17 Energy Department labs, the Idaho National Laboratory concentrates on research related to nuclear energy, renewable sources, and security solutions.

"China possesses not only production but also separation and refining capacity, according to Material Separations and Analysis Scientist Robert Fox. The key is to compete fairly against the global monopoly, not necessarily surpass them."

Scientists will devote eight months to creating innovative, eco-friendly methods for separating and processing Rare Earth materials.

"To maintain a clean and healthy and diverse environment, the environmental laws have become more stringent over the years," Fox stated. "We face challenges in meeting those stringent rules as we look at the environmental laws. How can we develop technology that enables resource recovery or manufacturing to be environmentally compliant?"

The new refining techniques will be developed using ore from the Sheep Creek Mine in the U.S.

Six months ago, we shipped approximately 70 pounds of our ore to Idaho National Labs for them to assess whether it was a feasible project, as stated by Cowle.

The U.S. Critical Materials Institute has identified high levels of Rare Earth Elements in Sheep Creek, prompting the company to seek a drilling permit next year and expedite the permitting process.

The Energy Department has invested millions in projects to separate Rare Earth Elements from 250 billion tons of coal reserves.

"Dunn stated that the role of those materials in our energy future is significant. He believes that America has the potential to achieve even more if the right political and economic incentives are put in place."