US Dysprosium Oxide Qualified for Permanent Magnets

Energy Fuels Inc. confirmed that high‑purity dysprosium oxide produced at its White Mesa Mill in Utah has passed initial purity and QA/QC benchmarks set by a major South Korean automotive magnet manufacturer for downstream rare‑earth permanent magnet (REPM) production.
Dysprosium oxide, produced at 99.9% purity in pilot runs, is a critical additive in NdFeB magnets to improve coercivity and high‑temperature performance for electric vehicle motors, hybrid systems, advanced robotics and several defense applications including missiles, drones and naval reactor control rods. The company has produced about 29 kg at pilot scale after its first kilogram in August 2025, exceeding common automotive specs of 99.5%.
Energy Fuels previously qualified NdPr oxide for magnets, and plans kilogram‑scale terbium samples for qualification in early 2026, followed by gadolinium and samarium pilots. Samarium is important for SmCo magnets used where extreme thermal stability is required.
To move beyond pilot work, the company is preparing commercial refining circuits at White Mesa with planned annual capacities up to 48 tonnes of Dy oxide and 14 tonnes of Tb oxide, subject to feed availability. With China’s April 2025 export controls on several heavy REEs, these developments bolster U.S. supply chain resilience for EV and defense sectors.