01 / EXTRACT & CONCENTRATE
Ore to mineral concentrate
Mineralogy, grade, beneficiation and recovery determine the useful feed entering the chemical plant. Compare contained REO and tested recovery with the expected feed specification.
Home
VALUE CHAIN
Follow the material.
Trace the handoffs from a geological deposit to an industrial magnet and back through recovery.
02 / CRACK & LEACH
Concentrate to mixed intermediate
Chemical treatment brings rare earths into solution and removes selected impurities. Mineralogy determines the flowsheet. Verify plant compatibility, reagent exposure and residue handling.
03 / SEPARATE
Mixed feed to individual oxides
Separation converts the mixed feed into specific products. Qualification depends on composition, purity, process consistency and whether light or heavy elements can be recovered at scale.
04 / METALLISE & ALLOY
Oxide to metal and alloy
Downstream routes convert oxides into metals and prepare controlled alloy compositions. Test impurity limits, traceability and whether the delivered form matches the magnet maker’s process.
05 / MAKE & QUALIFY
Alloy to finished magnet
Powder preparation, forming, sintering, machining and coating shape the finished part. Customers qualify a design, grade, process and supplier against the intended duty cycle.
06 / RECOVER & RECYCLE
Qualified scrap to a usable feed
Manufacturing scrap and some end-of-life magnets can feed recovery routes. Determine collection, coatings, contamination, recovery route and whether the recovered material fits the next buyer’s specification.
What a tonne means.
State whether the quantity refers to ore, concentrate, REO equivalent, oxide, metal, alloy or finished magnets. Each describes a different material. Conversions require the correct chemistry, material balance and process recovery.
- IEA · Rare Earth Elements8 April 2026
The IEA estimates China’s 2024 shares at 60% of magnet rare-earth mining, 91% of refining and 94% of sintered permanent magnet production. The first two cover Nd, Pr, Dy and Tb.
- Lynas · Kalgoorlie processing facilityAccessed 6 November 2026
Lynas describes cracking and leaching concentrate into mixed rare-earth carbonate for further processing in Malaysia.
APPLY THE RESEARCH
Map the route you actually buy.
Model an interruption using a single qualified material and consistent unit.