# Ucore Rare Metals

Canonical page: https://technooptimist.io/companies/ucore-rare-metals
Canadian company building a rare-earth separation plant in Alexandria, Louisiana, using RapidSX, its compact form of solvent extraction, with funding from the US Department of War.

## In brief

- 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.

## Facts

- Headquarters: CA
- Status: public
- Website: https://ucore.com
- Frontiers: [Materials](https://technooptimist.io/materials.md) (Rare-earth mining & refining)

## Programs

- [Louisiana Strategic Metals Complex](https://technooptimist.io/materials/louisiana-smc.md) (Materials): Pilot; next: Machine A installed and commissioned (600 t/yr) (2027, slipped 15 mo). First 600 t/yr machine in detailed design; commissioning now H1 2027, slipped from a late-2025 start.

## Technical approach

- **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.

## Open problems

- **Firm feedstock** (open): Ucore has signed eight non-binding feedstock MoUs since 2022; heavy rare-earth feed outside China is scarce.

## Upcoming

- **2027**: Machine A commissioning in Alexandria (Louisiana Strategic Metals Complex)
- **1 Jan 2027**: New US sourcing restrictions on rare-earth materials take effect (Louisiana Strategic Metals Complex)

## Latest updates

- **5 Aug 2026**: Ucore verifies RapidSX contactor scale-up to 24 inches for Louisiana. Ucore finished a 12-month test campaign scaling its RapidSX contactors from the 4-inch demo size up to a 24-inch design for Louisiana. ([our story](https://technooptimist.io/stories/ucore-verifies-rapidsx-contactor-scale-up-to-24-inches-for-louisiana-de5594bd.md) · [original source](https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/308111/Ucore-Verifies-Louisiana-RapidSXTM-Equipment-ScaleUp-Configurations))
- **28 May 2026**: Ucore engineering report resets Louisiana plan: 600 t/yr Machine A, three lines, ~9,600 t/yr target. An engineering report led by Orbital Engineering reshaped the Louisiana plant into one enlarged first machine of about 600 t/yr plus three RapidSX production lines of about 3,000 t/yr each, dropping a planned fourth line. ([our story](https://technooptimist.io/stories/ucore-engineering-report-resets-louisiana-plan-600-t-yr-machine-a-three-9cbf9306.md) · [original source](https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/299208))
- **24 Mar 2026**: Ucore and Vulcan Elements sign MoU for Louisiana rare-earth oxides to feed US magnet plants. Ucore and magnet maker Vulcan Elements signed a memorandum of understanding under which Ucore intends to make part of its Louisiana output of NdPr and dysprosium oxides available to Vulcan from 2027. ([our story](https://technooptimist.io/stories/ucore-and-vulcan-elements-sign-mou-for-louisiana-rare-earth-oxides-to-600cecc1.md) · [original source](https://old.ucore.com/ucore-and-vulcan-elements-join-forces-to-build-domestic-rare-earth-magnet-supply-chain-for-defense-and-commercial-applications/))
- **11 Dec 2025**: Ucore readies Louisiana heavy rare-earth processing under its US Department of War agreement. Ucore reported progress moving its RapidSX technology from the Kingston, Ontario demonstration plant to Louisiana under a US$22.4 million Department of War agreement. ([our story](https://technooptimist.io/stories/ucore-readies-louisiana-heavy-rare-earth-processing-under-its-us-75bceb24.md) · [original source](https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/277748/Ucore-Readies-for-Louisiana-2026-Heavy-Rare-Earth-Element-Processing))

## Partners, customers and investors

- Vulcan Elements (customer): Non-binding MoU (March 2026) to supply NdPr and Dy oxides to Vulcan's magnet plants from 2027.
- US Department of War (partner): US$18.4M addition (July 2025) to an agreement run by Army Contracting Command-Orlando, funding the first commercial RapidSX machine.
- Orbital Engineering (partner): Led the May 2026 capex and capacity engineering report for Louisiana.

## People

- Pat Ryan, Chairman and CEO
- Mike Schrider, VP and Chief Operating Officer

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