Companies and policymakers are pushing to increase domestic processing of rare-earth and other critical minerals used in weapons and advanced technologies, amid concern that China controls key stages of the supply chain. In Exeter, New Hampshire, Phoenix Tailings operates a refinery that processes mining waste stored in large bags by using electrolysis to separate critical elements from residual materials. The facility is described as a potential contributor to reducing China’s “chokehold” on the processing of critical minerals, an area the U.S. has been viewed as weak in the broader mines-to-magnets pipeline. Plans discussed in reporting include building additional capacity through a new factory that would expand separation and metallization capabilities. The proposed timeline is about 14 to 18 months, supported by a $500 million Pentagon loan, according to one outlet. The urgency is framed in part by munitions drawdowns related to the war in the Middle East, where rapid replenishment can depend on reliable access to critical minerals that are used in widely fielded U.S. weapons systems.
U.S. expands rare-earth processing to reduce dependence on China for weapons
Companies and policymakers are pushing to increase domestic processing of rare-earth and other critical minerals used in weapons and advanced technologies, amid concern that China controls key stages...
- Phoenix Tailings refinery in Exeter, New Hampshire processes mining waste stored in large (about 1-ton) bags.
- The company uses electrolysis to separate critical mineral elements from residual powder.
- The expansion effort is intended to reduce U.S. reliance on China’s processing of critical minerals, including for magnets.
- A new factory to expand separation and metallization capacity is projected to take about 14 to 18 months.
- Funding for the expansion is described as a $500 million Pentagon loan.
EXETER, N.H. — A giant American flag hanging on the wall of a warehouse in New Hampshire hints at the national importance of the elements bound inside the mining waste stored in 1-ton bags. The company uses electrolysis to separate the key critical elements President Donald Trump's administration desperately wants to produce domestically from the powder left behind at traditional mines. The small Phoenix Tailings refinery tucked inside an office park in Exeter, New Hampshire, could play a key role in helping America break the chokehold China has on the processing of critical minerals, but it will take 14 to 18 months to build a new factory with a $500 million loan from the Pentagon to drastically expand the company's separation and metallization capacity, a particularly weak stage in the U.S. mines-to-magnets supply chain. The task that workers carry out in heat-resistant suits and sealed face masks has become more urgent with the war in the Middle East rapidly drawing down munitions because critical minerals are a key ingredient in widely used U.S. weapons systems such as Tomahawk c
4 hours agoA giant American flag hanging on the wall of a warehouse in New Hampshire hints at the national importance of the elements bound inside the mining waste stored in 1-ton bags. The company uses electrolysis to separate the key critical elements President Trump's administration desperately wants to produce domestically from the powder left behind at traditional mines.
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