New Flash Joule Heating Technology Could Revolutionize Rare Earth Processing

A new technology developed by MTM Critical Metals has the potential to bring about a significant shift in the processing of rare earth elements (REE). The company's flash joule heating (FJH) technology has successfully removed nearly 50% of the main impurities—iron, aluminium, calcium, and phosphorus—from REE flotation concentrate in a single step.

This breakthrough now enables a 50% increase in REE concentration in the final product through a two-step process involving rapid FJH and a water wash. Further testing is underway to optimize this promising technology.

MTM's CEO, Michael Walshe, emphasized that the FJH advancement holds considerable implications for the rare earth industry, particularly in terms of sustainable production, onshoring refining processes, and enhancing supply chain security. By producing REE chlorides directly from flotation concentrate, the technology significantly simplifies the refining process, making REEs more accessible for sectors such as renewable energy, advanced manufacturing, and defense.

“This transformative result validates the enormous potential of flash joule heating in simplifying and improving rare earth processing,” Walshe said. “Achieving such high impurity removal and REE concentration in a single step is a game changer, and we are only at the beginning of this testing regime. We are continuing discussions with leading industry players to advance this technology towards commercial-scale deployment.”

The FJH process offers an alternative to traditional “cracking and leaching” methods, which typically involve baking rare earth minerals with sulfuric acid at high temperatures to convert them into partially soluble REE sulfates. The conventional approach is resource-intensive, requiring substantial energy input for high-temperature operations and vast volumes of water to dissolve the sparingly soluble REE sulfates.

In contrast, the FJH technology aims to overcome these inefficiencies by creating purified REE chlorides in a single operation. Benefits of this technology include significantly reduced water usage due to dry reactions, lower energy requirements through direct heating of materials, streamlined downstream processing, and minimized waste generation.