Cyclic Materials to supply recycled mixed rare earth oxide to Solvay

Solvay, a Brussels-based supplier of rare earth materials for catalysis and electronics has announced an agreement with Toronto-based advanced metals recycling company Cyclic Materials in which Cyclic will provide Solvay with recycled mixed rare earth oxide (rMREO).

The companies say shipments of the material will being late this year.

The agreement extends the partnership formed by the memorandum of understanding the companies signed in February 2023. Since then, the companies have validated Cyclic’s rMREO product with Solvay’s rare earth separation process. They say this supply agreement is the culmination of both parties’ active collaboration, which confirmed the technical and commercial viability of Cyclic’s product with an established rare earth chemicals producer.

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Solvay says the move aligns with its proactive measures since the end of 2022 to establish a rare earths hub for the permanent magnets value chain in La Rochelle, France, aiming to enhance European self-sufficiency. Solvay adds that it is committed to serving customers in the electric vehicle (EV), wind power and electronics markets by 2025.

“This agreement aligns with our sustainable sourcing strategy to provide magnet grades of NdPr and Nd oxides to our customers by early 2025,” says An Nuyttens, president of Solvay Special Chem. “We support Cyclic Materials’ vision of developing a circular supply chain for rare earths. Through this partnership, we are creating a circular loop to reintegrate recycled MREO back into the magnet supply chain.

“Since the start of our partnership, Cyclic Materials has rapidly advanced their technology to enable a commercial relationship between our two companies. We commend the Cyclic Materials team for reaching the milestone of opening their Hub100 plant, which contributes to securing our sustainable sourcing of rare earths.”

Founded in 2021, Cyclic converts end-of-life products into valuable raw materials. The company says it plans to establish facilities across North America, Europe and Asia to meet the growing demand for domestic sources of MREO in those regions.

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“The completion of this commercial agreement is a significant milestone in our company’s journey,” company co-founder and CEO Ahmad Ghahreman says. “The team has demonstrated our ability to scale technology capable of producing a high-quality recycled product from a diverse set of end-of-life magnet products. We see this as a tremendous achievement to be partnered with a leader in the rare earth chemicals market. With this agreement, we can support Solvay’s efforts in helping to reduce the environmental impact of rare earths and address the concerns about the constrained supply chain for rare earths used in magnet production.”