IonicRE USSM Magnet Recycling Partnership Targets High-Purity Rare Earth Oxides

IonicRE

The IonicRE USSM magnet recycling partnership aims to produce high-purity rare earth oxides from recycled magnets in the US. The IonicRE USSM magnet recycling partnership will recover NdPr and multiple heavy rare earths from end-of-life materials. This IonicRE USSM magnet recycling partnership strengthens circular supply chains for critical minerals used in electric vehicles and advanced electronics.

Technology-driven rare earth recovery in Missouri

US Strategic Metals will operate a Missouri recycling facility that focuses on rare earth extraction from discarded magnets. The plant will recover neodymium–praseodymium oxide plus heavy rare earths like dysprosium and terbium. It will also produce samarium, gadolinium and holmium oxides, which are vital for high-performance permanent magnets.

Ionic Rare Earths will provide the core recycling technology through its UK arm, Ionic Technologies. This technology will allow USSM to produce separated rare earth oxides with purities above 99.5pc. As a result, the project targets magnet-grade products that can directly serve automotive, wind and electronics manufacturers.

Building a rare earth circular economy across three continents

IonicRE already holds a 60pc stake in the Makuutu rare earths project in Uganda. That asset provides a potential primary feedstock base for future value chains. Meanwhile, its joint venture in Brazil with Viridis Mining and Minerals adds refinery and magnet recycling capacity.

Together, these projects position IonicRE across mining, refining and recycling in Africa, South America and now North America. This diversified footprint reduces reliance on single-country supply for key elements like NdPr, dysprosium and terbium. Therefore, the new US partnership helps align resource security with circular economy goals in the rare earth sector.

The Metalnomist Commentary

This deal underlines how magnet recycling is moving from pilot scale to commercially relevant volumes in North America. By combining IonicRE’s technology with USSM’s facility, the partnership could become a template for regional rare earth circularity. The broader footprint across Uganda, Brazil and the US also shows how mid-tier players can stitch together multi-continent supply chains outside China.