Joint effort aims to bolster Europe's rare earth supply through sustainable recycling.

Marking a significant stride toward a sustainable rare earth supply chain, Solvay SA and Cyclic Materials Inc. announced the finalization of a supply agreement for recycled mixed rare earth oxides aimed at enhancing European self-sufficiency for this suite of technology metals.

Founded in 2021, Canada-based Cyclic Materials has been pioneering a sustainable approach to rare earths and critical metals recycling. Aiming to establish a circular supply chain, the company employs its innovative Mag-Xtract and REEPure technologies to produce recycled mixed rare earth oxides (rMREO), contributing to global efforts for responsible and sustainable resource utilization.

The process can also be used to recycle copper, aluminum, steel, cobalt, and nickel.

The latest agreement is an extension of a partnership formed in early 2023 to develop a European supply chain for rare earth permanent magnets.

"This agreement aligns with our sustainable sourcing strategy to provide magnet grades of neodymium-praseodymium and neodymium oxides to our customers by early 2025," said An Nuyttens, president of Solvay special chem. "We support Cyclic Materials' vision of developing a circular supply chain for rare earths. Through this partnership we are creating a circular loop to reintegrate recycled MREO back into the magnet supply chain."

Solvay, a pioneering multinational in chemicals, plastics, and advanced materials, has been a cornerstone of the chemical industry since its founding in the late 1800s. Built on founder Ernest Solvay's groundbreaking innovations in the soda ash process, the company has thrived for over 150 years by adapting to global needs.

Committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, Solvay's strategic partnerships, such as with Cyclic Materials, underscore its dedication to fostering a sustainable future.

Since the initial agreement in 2023, the companies have validated Cyclic Materials' rMREO product with Solvay's own rare earth separation process. The latest supply agreement marks the culmination of both parties' efforts toward a sustainable rare earths supply chain.

"Through this partnership we are creating a circular loop to reintegrate recycled MREO back into the magnet supply chain," said Nuyttens. "Since the start of our partnership, Cyclic Materials has rapidly advanced their technology to enable a commercial relationship between our two companies."

This move also aligns with Solvay's proactive measures at the onset of the energy transition to establish a rare earths hub in France for the permanent magnets value chain throughout Europe. This is further aided by Cyclic Materials' recent announcement of the opening of its Hub100 plant in Canada.

"We commend the Cyclic Materials team for reaching the milestone of opening their Hub100 plant, which contributes to securing our sustainable sourcing of rare earths," added Nuyttens.

"The completion of this commercial agreement is a significant milestone in our company's journey," said Cyclic Materials CEO Ahmad Ghahreman. "The team has demonstrated our ability to scale technology capable of producing a high-quality recycled product from a diverse set of end-of-life magnet products."

With Cyclic Materials' recent expansion and production capabilities demonstrated at their Hub100 facility, this pioneering REE recycler in North America is poised to significantly reduce reliance on Chinese rare earth supplies.

"We see this as a tremendous achievement to be partnered with a leader in the rare earth chemicals market," said Ghahreman. "With this agreement we can support Solvay's efforts in helping to reduce the environmental impact of rare earths and address the concerns about the constrained supply chain for rare earths used in magnet production."