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Critical materials for the successful electrification of energy and mobility will be key: Cyclic Materials

KINGSTON — The continued electrification of society will be key in curbing carbon emissions and mitigating the worst effects of climate change, says Cyclic Materials. A major barrier to achieving that goal, however, is a projected shortage of so-called ‘rare earths’—metals critical to a range of technologies, including electric vehicles and wind turbines. Cyclic Materials aims to remedy this issue through recycling.

Most metals are produced with approximately 40% recycled material, but only about 1% of rare earths are recovered at the end of life, meaning that the rare earth circular economy could grow as much as forty-fold in the coming years. A robust supply chain for recycled rare earths will accelerate domestic production of these materials, which are deemed ‘critical’ by many western countries. Recycling will also decrease the need for new green-field mining projects, which can take years to break ground, require massive capital investment and carry profound environmental consequences.

Cyclic Materials also announces the completion of its proof-of-concept bench-scale test work, carried out at Kingston Process Metallurgy Inc. (KPM), as well as the delivery of the first samples of recycled rare earth oxides to downstream service providers. Cyclic Materials is now focused on building its pilot plant, the first step towards scaling up its recycling process to satisfy exploding demand.

“There is a huge opportunity to produce rare earth elements in a more responsible and sustainable way,” says Cyclic Materials CEO Ahmad Ghahreman. “We aspire to reduce the pressure to open 3-4 new mines, thereby improving land use and reducing the use of harsh processing chemicals.”