Aclara Resources, Virginia Tech launch rare earth separation pilot plant

Aclara Resources (TSX: ARA) has entered into a strategic partnership with Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University for the operation of its rare earth separation pilot plant.

 

The plant, currently under implementation at the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center in Blacksburg, will showcase Aclara’s solvent extraction technology for producing individual high-purity light and heavy rare earth elements, the company said.

 

The facility is expected to produce over 99.5% pure didymium/praseodymium-neodymium (NdPr), terbium (Tb) and dysprosium (Dy) from Aclara’s sustainable Brazil-sourced feedstock—creating a supply chain for critical rare earth elements outside of China.

 

The Canadian rare earth developer has said its Carina deposit, located in the state of Goiás, could generate 191 tonnes a year of dysprosium and terbium, heavy rare earths used in electric vehicle manufacturing.

 

Aclara opened in April its semi-industrial heavy rare earth pilot plant, which it will use to test the production of dysprosium and terbium from ionic clay extracted from the Carina project.

 

Last month, the company formed an alliance with Stanford University to accelerate the development of AI innovations aimed at securing a sustainable supply chain for heavy rare earth elements.

 

The partnership unites Aclara’s proprietary separation technology with Virginia Tech’s leadership in mining and materials science to strengthen domestic access to critical minerals, advance R&D, and prepare the next generation of skilled talent, the company said in a news release. 

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