Image via John Shegerian Wordpress site

ERI and ReElement Technologies have reached a strategic commercial processing agreement, ERI announced Thursday. The new partnership is designed to boost the domestic production of refined rare earth oxides from recycled magnet materials.

ERI, a Fresno-based company, is the nation’s largest electronics recycler and IT asset disposition provider. As part of the agreement, ERI will employ its global collection network and eight U.S. recycling centers to collect and pre-process end-of-life electronic components containing rare earth magnets.

ReElement is a subsidiary of American Resources Corporation and will refine the recovered feedstock into high-purity rare earth oxides for use in mobility, defense and advanced technology manufacturing.

According to the news release, the partnership will strengthen U.S. efforts to secure a circular and dependable supply of rare earth materials at a time when demand for critical minerals continues to increase. ERI’s AI-driven systems can identify and harvest magnet-based metals at a high purity level, which provides meaningful input for ReElement’s refining platform, according to the release.

ReElement has begun trial shipments of rare earth oxides at 99.9% purity to commercial and defense customers and is currently accepting orders. Production is taking place at the company’s facility in Indiana. 

Mark Jensen, chairman and CEO of ReElement, said pairing ERI’s sourcing capabilities with the company’s refining technology positions both organizations to accelerate the nation’s progress toward mineral circularity.

“ERI is a trusted partner to leading U.S. technology companies and hyperscalers, and their ability to efficiently source and process recycled magnet material is unmatched,” Jensen said. “Pairing their feedstock capabilities with ReElement’s advanced refining platform positions us to accelerate true circularity for critical minerals in the United States and deliver high-purity rare earth elements for our current and expanding customer base.”

John Shegerian, ERI chairman and CEO, called the partnership a milestone that could expand U.S. capabilities and competitiveness in the global rare earth sector.

“It’s an honor to partner with ReElement on this innovative and impactful rare earths initiative,” Shegerian said. “This new relationship will open the door for a whole new wave of US-based capabilities in the rare earth realm that will have both domestic and global implications.”