ECONOMIC CONTROLĬhina's refining expertise has allowed the country to engineer rare earths prices at different stages in the processing chains to its advantage, including low prices for finished products, to inhibit foreign competition, analysts said. 'What's happened in China over many years is that they've invested heavily and cleverly in the processing capacity to convert the (rare earths) material all the way from the mine through to the magnet,' said Allan Walton, a metallurgy professor at the University of Birmingham. Similar issues could plague about half a dozen other companies aiming to refine independently elsewhere in the world, analysts said. While MP relied on Chinese expertise to restart its mine- bought in 2017-that know-how is less helpful when it comes to tailoring refining equipment. To extract neodymium and praseodymium to build EV magnets, for example, MP must first remove the less-desirable lanthanum and cerium that compose about 83% of its California deposit in a process that relies on an intricate cocktail of acids, bases and other chemicals that are tailored to the mine's geology. Those rare earths must be teased out in a specific order, preventing MP and its peers from cherry-picking specific elements they may want.

Rare earths refineries must contend with 17 metals, depending on a deposit's geology, each of which are nearly the same size and atomic weight, making separation complex. They are lighter and can handle far higher temperatures than traditional magnets, in part due to their unique chemical properties. Rare earths magnets turn power into motion and are the essential components in an electric vehicle's motor. 'The rare earths refining process can be very finicky,' said Kray Luxbacker, who heads the University of Arizona's mining and geological engineering department and is unaffiliated with MP or its peers. MP, whose second-largest shareholder is China's Shenghe Resources (600392.SS), declined to comment ahead of its results. Wake up that little explorer in your child!Grow Your Set! Now you can expand your Discovery™ #Mindblown Magnetic Tile set with our 51-piece set and continue to stack and create even larger models! Perfect toy for ages 3 to adults.'The (rare earths) commissioning process is painstaking, with stops and starts,' Jim Litinsky, MP's CEO and largest shareholder, told investors in May. These Magnetic tiles stick to most metal surfaces, allowing children to experiment with gravity and magnetic force during playtime. Teach your child about reflections and color mixing. Use these vibrant shapes to create visually stunning designs like hexagons, pentagons, buildings, animals and anything else your children can dream up! Event adults cannot resist building with these incredible STEM toys!Endless Educational Play! Blend magnetic tiles with a light source, such as a light table, glow sticks, or a window to create a truly magical experience. Discovery™ #Mindblown Mags make a great bath toy! Use Discovery™ #Mindblown magnetic tiles to set the stage for collaboration and sharing.

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