The facility processes ion-adsorption clays to produce rare earth carbonate. Material could be refined in a U.S. plant in the future.
Chilean mining company Aclara Resources inaugurated its new rare earth pilot plant in Brazil on Monday, according to a company statement (PDF). Located in Aparecida de Goiânia, central Brazil, the facility produces rare earth carbonate from ion-adsorption clays, a deposit type known for its high concentrations of heavy rare earth elements such as dysprosium and terbium. These elements are critical for improving the performance and heat resistance of permanent magnets used in electric vehicles, wind turbines, and other advanced technologies. The company expects to begin full-scale operations at the plant by 2028.
Aclara is advancing two ion-adsorption clay projects in Chile and Brazil, tapping into resources that, until now, have only been mined in China and Myanmar on a large scale. The company is also building a rare earth separation facility in the United States, aiming to vertically integrate processing from mine to magnet. The plan is to produce carbonate in South America and refine it into individual rare earth elements in North America.
To complete this value chain, Aclara signed a strategic partnership last year with German magnet manufacturer Vacuumschmelze, which is building a magnet production facility in the U.S. A potential supply agreement could establish a mine-to-magnet value chain from South to North America.
Photo: Ranilson Arruda via Canva