American Resources Corporation's ReElement Technologies Commences Daily Production of Purified Rare Earths Elements To Solve Domestic Supply Chain
Rhea-AI Summary
American Resources 's subsidiary, ReElement Technologies, has expanded production to include daily rare earth oxide refining at its Noblesville Customer Qualification Plant. The company is now producing both light (Nd, Pr) and heavy rare earths (Dy, Tb) at 99.5%+ purity, alongside its existing lithium carbonate production. This expansion comes as ReElement begins building its large-scale Marion Advanced Technology Center.
ReElement has integrated process automation and autonomous chromatographic column operations, increasing capacity by approximately 3 times without additional labor costs. The company utilizes proprietary Ligand Assisted Displacement (LAD) chromatography technology for efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally safe separation and purification of rare earth elements.
CEO Mark Jensen emphasized ReElement's unique position in producing both battery-grade lithium carbonate and magnet-grade rare earth oxides in the same facility, with a competitive cost structure. The company is working with various ore and recycled material providers to supply its Marion facility and aims to catalyze a domestic critical mineral supply chain.
Positive
- Expanded production to include daily rare earth oxide refining at 99.5%+ purity
- Integrated process automation, increasing capacity by 3 times without additional labor costs
- Unique position in producing both battery-grade lithium carbonate and magnet-grade rare earth oxides in the same facility
- Competitive cost structure compared to Chinese market
- Working with multiple ore and recycled material providers for feedstock supply
Negative
- None.
Insights
ReElement Technologies' expansion into daily production of rare earth oxides marks a significant milestone for American Resources The ability to produce both light and heavy rare earth elements at 99.5%+ purity demonstrates technological prowess and positions the company as a key player in the domestic critical minerals supply chain. The integration of process automation, increasing capacity by 3x without additional labor costs, suggests improved operational efficiency and potential for higher margins.
The company's unique capability to produce both battery-grade lithium carbonate and magnet-grade rare earth oxides in the same facility is a strong competitive advantage. This versatility, combined with a claimed cost structure that can compete with or undercut Chinese prices, could lead to significant market share gains and revenue growth. The expansion of production capabilities at Noblesville, while simultaneously developing the larger Marion facility, indicates a well-planned growth strategy.
However, investors should note that the company's market cap of
ReElement's ligand assisted displacement (LAD) chromatography technology represents a significant advancement in rare earth element (REE) processing. This method offers several advantages over traditional solvent extraction:
- Higher yield and efficiency
- Reduced environmental impact
- Flexibility to process various feedstocks
- Scalability and modularity
The ability to process both recycled materials and virgin ores positions ReElement to capitalize on the circular economy trend and secure diverse supply sources. The company's claim of achieving ultra-pure REE oxides at competitive prices is particularly noteworthy, as purity and cost are critical factors in the REE market.
The expansion to include rare earth ores in their patent portfolio strengthens their intellectual property position. This could create barriers to entry for competitors and potentially lead to licensing opportunities. However, the true test will be in scaling this technology to commercial volumes while maintaining the claimed cost and purity advantages. Investors should monitor the progress of the Marion Advanced Technology Center, as its successful implementation will be important for realizing the full potential of this technology.
Company is producing both light (Nd, Pr) and heavy rare earths (Dy, Tb) at
Utilizing its proprietary technology at its Noblesville, IN Customer Qualification Plant to produce purified products for customers' orders while equipment is being ordered for Marion Advanced Technology Center for additional growth of magnet recycling and rare earth ore processing
Company increases scale and efficiencies at its Noblesville Customer Qualification Plant through process automation
FISHERS, IN / ACCESSWIRE / October 9, 2024 / American Resources Corporation (NASDAQ:AREC) ("American Resources" or the "Company") announced today that its wholly owned subsidiary, ReElement Technologies Corporation ("ReElement"), a leading provider of high-performance refining capacity for rare earth and critical battery elements, is expanding to produce rare earth oxides on a daily basis for existing customer orders in addition to its daily production of lithium carbonate at its Noblesville Customer Qualification Plant. This expansion at its Noblesville Plant is occurring as the Company starts the build out phase of its large-scale Marion, IN Advanced Technology Center. ReElement will produce both light and heavy rare earth oxides for customer deliveries, in its Noblesville Plant, while it expands its footprint and capabilities in Marion, IN. Furthermore, ReElement recently integrated process automation and autonomous chromatographic column operations allowing the Company to increase capacity by approximately 3-times without additional labor cost.
Mark Jensen, CEO of ReElement Technologies said, "We are thankful for our teams ability to quickly mobilize to meet the needs of our customers. We were presented with an opportunity with a customer that needs product this year which required us to combine forces in our Noblesville plant to continually expand lithium carbonate production while sharing space with our rare earth oxide refining line. There is nobody else in the world producing battery-grade lithium carbonate and magnet-grade rare earth oxides (heavy and light) out of the same facility and most importantly, we are confident that nobody can compete with our commercial scale cost structure. Our ability to quickly respond to the needs of the critical mineral markets showcases the efficiency of our platform technology and the necessary attributes needed to be sustainable and competitive in this market."
Mark Jensen added, "Producing separated and refined light and heavy rare earth oxides from both recycled feedstocks as well as virgin ores is a core competency of our technology. More importantly is the fact that we can achieve ultra-pure, separate rare earth oxides at a price point that is highly competitive to the Chinese market, if not lower. We are working with numerous ore and recycled material providers to feed our Marion Advanced Technology Center as we build out the facility. We are excited to continue to collaborate up and down the supply chain to catalyze a healthy, domestic critical mineral supply chain."
ReElement is working with customers and partners to either process both light and heavy rare earths from all feedstocks at its Marion Advanced Technology Center. ReElement is also working with producers and miners to collocate at their site to cost effectively and efficiently separate and purify concentrated materials without having to incur logistics costs, carbon footprint exposure or high environmental impact, while reducing CapEx and OpEx for projects.
In April of 2024 ReElement announced it has expanded its exclusive use of the patents for ligand assisted displacement ("LAD") chromatography and knowhow for all feedstocks to include rare earth ores. These exclusive patents and technologies, developed at Purdue University, have been utilized by ReElement at its Noblesville, Indiana Commercial Qualification Facility to produce ultra-pure rare earth oxides and critical battery elements to the growing magnet and energy storage industries. ReElement has successfully developed its critical mineral platform technology providing a high performance and scalable solution for separating, purifying and refining rare earth and critical elements in an efficient, low cost and environmentally safe process outside of China.
Ligand Assisted Displacement ("LAD") Chromatographic Separation and Purification
The use of LAD chromatography to separate, purify and refine rare earth and critical elements is the most cost effective and environmentally safe methods utilized to date. LAD chromatography, as designed for rare earth element extraction and purification, is a much cleaner and greener purification process compared to conventional solvent-based extraction methods. It has a higher yield, productivity, flexibility and efficiency allowing for smaller and scalable processing volume without the harsh or toxic chemicals.
The technology enables:
Modular and scalable production capacity (growing processing volumes efficiently as feedstock production expands);
Localization of processing (Removing the need to transport raw ore across the world);
Significantly less chemical and energy use; and
Versatility of technology for multiple feedstocks (ores, recycled material, etc.).
Learn more about ReElement Technologies' process and technology here - Video.
About ReElement Technologies Corporation
ReElement Technologies Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Resources Corporation (NASDAQ:AREC), is a leading provider of high-performance refining capacity for rare earth and critical battery elements. Its multi-mineral, multi-feedstock platform technology focuses on the refining of recycled material from rare earth permanent magnets and lithium-ion batteries, concentrated ores and brines, as well as coal-based waste streams and byproducts to create a cost effective and environmentally-safe, circular supply chain. ReElement has developed its innovative and scalable "Powered by ReElement" process which collaboratively utilizes its exclusively licensed intellectual property within its partners' material processing flow sheets to more efficiently support the global supply chain's growing demand for magnet and battery-grade products. For more information visit reelementtech.com or connect with the Company on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
About American Resources Corporation
American Resources Corporation (NASDAQ:AREC) is a next-generation, environmentally and socially responsible supplier of high-quality raw materials to the new infrastructure market. The Company is focused on the extraction and processing of metallurgical carbon, an essential ingredient used in steelmaking, critical and rare earth minerals for the electrification market, and reprocessed metal to be recycled. American Resources has a growing portfolio of operations located in the Central Appalachian basin of eastern Kentucky and southern West Virginia where premium quality metallurgical carbon and rare earth mineral deposits are concentrated.
American Resources has established a nimble, low-cost business model centered on growth, which provides a significant opportunity to scale its portfolio of assets to meet the growing global infrastructure and electrification markets while also continuing to acquire operations and significantly reduce their legacy industry risks. Its streamlined and efficient operations are able to maximize margins while reducing costs. For more information visit americanresourcescorp.com or connect with the Company on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other important factors that could cause the Company's actual results, performance, or achievements or industry results to differ materially from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond American Resources Corporation's control. The words "believes", "may", "will", "should", "would", "could", "continue", "seeks", "anticipates", "plans", "expects", "intends", "estimates", or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. Any forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date of this release. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update or supplement any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. The Company cannot assure you that the projected results or events will be achieved.
Investor Contact:
JTC Team, LLC
Jenene Thomas
833-475-8247
AREC@jtcir.com
RedChip Companies Inc.
Robert Foley
1-800-RED-CHIP (733-2447)
Info@redchip.com
Company Contact:
Mark LaVerghetta
317-855-9926 ext. 0
investor@americanresourcescorp.com
SOURCE: American Resources Corporation
View the original press release on accesswire.com
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