Ucore Rare Metals (TSXV UCU / WKN A2QJQ4) and Metallium Limited (ASX MTM) have entered into a strategic technology cooperation. Metallium’s Flash Joule Heating (FJH) technology processes rare earth concentrates into mixed rare earth chlorides (MREC), which Ucore subsequently separates into high-purity rare earth oxides (REOs) using its RapidSX™ technology at the refinery being built in Louisiana, USA. FJH is intended to complement classic production routes and significantly increase the number of potential raw material sources for Ucore’s facility in Alexandria!
Ucore’s focus is on overcoming the bottleneck of Western processing capacities along the integrated rare earth supply chain with the help of the superior RapidSX™ technology. RapidSX™ is modular, scalable, and has received over $20 million in support from the U.S. Department of Energy to date. The technology is considered raw material-agnostic. And this means: the more diverse the input sources, the more resilient the REO supply chains. Particularly important are additional sources for heavy REOs, which are currently 99% controlled by China.
The agreement with Metallium now aims at a modular US refinery solution that converts classic REE concentrates as well as alternative streams (magnet waste, e-waste, lighting waste) into separated REOs such as Neodymium and Praseodymium (NdPr), Dysprosium (Dy), and Terbium (Tb) – with additional options for recovering other critical and valuable metals. In parallel, the integration of FJH-based chloride processing into the RapidSX™ separation platform at the Strategic Metals Complex (SMC) in Louisiana, which is currently being scaled, is being advanced.
Scope of Cooperation and Research Development Focus Areas
Both companies are working to bypass conventional acid leaching by converting REE-containing materials into enriched MRECℓ/EMRECs (mixed rare earth chlorides / enriched mixed rare earth chlorides). Investigations also concern the recovery of strategically important Terbium (Tb) as well as other high-value elements from lighting waste/phosphor powders. Separately, RD work is planned for the extraction of non-REE metal chlorides such as Au, Sb, Sn, and Cu from e-waste brines.
The first phase includes laboratory tests for FJH processing of Ucore concentrate into MREC, the conversion of magnet waste into chlorides containing Nd, Pr, Dy, and Tb, as well as Tb recovery from lighting waste. Phase 2 then envisages pilot campaigns for the production of MRECℓ for processing in Ucore’s commercial demonstration plant in Kingston (Ontario, Canada); additionally, FJH-processed mixed metal chlorides from e-waste will be processed.
Metallium CEO Michael Walshe sees the agreement as an entry into a North American supply chain, in which Ucore is building “the most advanced REE separation”; FJH could unlock otherwise unused or discounted raw materials, especially those rich in heavy REEs. Ucore Chairman CEO Pat Ryan particularly emphasizes the suitability for the US strategy: scalable, flexible, raw material-agnostic separation routes for consistent, high-purity REEs for defense and industrial applications.
Ucore and Metallium Commit for an Initial 12 Months
The binding agreement runs for 12 months. Both parties will explore a possible future commercial collaboration in good-faith discussions; all technology rights remain with their respective owners, confidentiality agreements are in place, and the cooperation is not associated with fees or consideration.
