TheTechno Optimist.

Louisiana Strategic Metals ComplexUcore Rare Metals—Ucore engineering report resets Louisiana plan: 600 t/yr Machine A, three lines, ~9,600 t/yr targetLouisiana Strategic Metals ComplexUcore Rare Metals—Ucore verifies RapidSX contactor scale-up to 24 inches for LouisianaLouisiana Strategic Metals ComplexUcore Rare Metals—Ucore readies Louisiana heavy rare-earth processing under its US Department of War agreementLouisiana Strategic Metals ComplexUcore Rare Metals—Ucore and Vulcan Elements sign MoU for Louisiana rare-earth oxides to feed US magnet plants

Ucore Rare Metals

Rare-earth separation, RapidSX, Louisiana refinery

CApublicucore.com (opens ucore.com)Checked 11 Oct

The brief

Analyst view
  • Building the Louisiana Strategic Metals Complex: a 600 t/yr first machine, then up to ~9,600 t/yr of rare-earth oxides.
  • Its RapidSX demo plant in Kingston, Ontario has run 7,400+ hours and made NdPr, Dy, Tb, Sm and Gd products.
  • First-machine start has slipped from late 2025 to the first half of 2027.

Technical approach

As reported
Separation

RapidSX

The chemistry of solvent extraction in compact contactors; Ucore says it is 2-4 times faster with a smaller footprint, a claim still being quantified.

Primer