RARE EARTH ELEMENTS PATENT
Rare earth elements have become a very important component of producing high technology products like cell phones, radios, computers, communication devices, batteries, and many other products. Rare earth elements also play an essential role in national defense. The military uses night-vision goggles, precision-guided weapons, communications equipment, GPS equipment, batteries, and other defense electronics. That dependence is growing rapidly.
The vast majority of rare earth elements being currently produced are coming from China. The Chinese dominance peaked in 2010 when it controlled about 95% of the world's rare earth production, and prices for many rare earth oxides had risen well over 500% in just a few years. That was a wake up call for rare earth consumers and miners throughout the world. Mining companies in the United States and Canada, as well as other countries, began to reevaluate old rare earth prospects and explore for new ones. Setting an independent domestic rare earth and critical minerals supply chain has become a priority for Canada and the United States. Both currently rely on China, which now accounts for 70% of global rare earths production.
Canada has some of the largest known reserves and resources (measured and indicated) of rare earths in the world, estimated at over 15 million tons of rare earth oxides. In addition, research has shown that Canadian oil sands residual products after bitumen extraction contain significant levels of rare earths that can be extracted.[1] The US military last year said it would fund mines and processors via the Defense Production Act, which gives the military wide berth to procure equipment and fund processes. Numerous Canadian and US firms are now exploring for geologic and process assets to produce raw rare earths. In short, the chase is on for more and better means of producing raw and refined rare earth elements.
A major issue is that after the mining of rare earths is they must be separated from each other in order to capture the value of some of the most sought-after rare earth elements. The SASOR patent makes proprietary a certain method using the opposing forces of centrifugal force and electromagnetics to separate these elements and enable the targeting and separation of the rare earth elements of the greatest value. The SASOR patented process represents a significant advance in the separation of rare earth elements over the simple gravitational separation processes used today. The patent takes advantage of the differing paramagnetic properties of the rare earths as well as the difference in rare earth’s atomic weights to separate these elements effectively and efficiently.
Recently, Researchers at Pennsylvania University found a method, yet to be patented, to separate mixtures of rare earth metals by combining a magnetic field with a decrease in temperature, a process that causes rare earth ions to crystallize at different rates.[2] The method already patented in the SASOR patent being divested uses similar technology but combines the magnetic fields with a patented modification of the traditional gravimetric method that has been used in the past. Many patents being developed today may infringe on the SASOR patent that is being divested.
[1] Roth et al, Rare Earth Elements in Alberta Oil Sand Process Streams, U.S. Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory, 2017
[2] Leotaud, A New Magnetic Way to Separate Rare Earths, Canadian Mining Journal, November 3, 2019.
The vast majority of rare earth elements being currently produced are coming from China. The Chinese dominance peaked in 2010 when it controlled about 95% of the world's rare earth production, and prices for many rare earth oxides had risen well over 500% in just a few years. That was a wake up call for rare earth consumers and miners throughout the world. Mining companies in the United States and Canada, as well as other countries, began to reevaluate old rare earth prospects and explore for new ones. Setting an independent domestic rare earth and critical minerals supply chain has become a priority for Canada and the United States. Both currently rely on China, which now accounts for 70% of global rare earths production.
Canada has some of the largest known reserves and resources (measured and indicated) of rare earths in the world, estimated at over 15 million tons of rare earth oxides. In addition, research has shown that Canadian oil sands residual products after bitumen extraction contain significant levels of rare earths that can be extracted.[1] The US military last year said it would fund mines and processors via the Defense Production Act, which gives the military wide berth to procure equipment and fund processes. Numerous Canadian and US firms are now exploring for geologic and process assets to produce raw rare earths. In short, the chase is on for more and better means of producing raw and refined rare earth elements.
A major issue is that after the mining of rare earths is they must be separated from each other in order to capture the value of some of the most sought-after rare earth elements. The SASOR patent makes proprietary a certain method using the opposing forces of centrifugal force and electromagnetics to separate these elements and enable the targeting and separation of the rare earth elements of the greatest value. The SASOR patented process represents a significant advance in the separation of rare earth elements over the simple gravitational separation processes used today. The patent takes advantage of the differing paramagnetic properties of the rare earths as well as the difference in rare earth’s atomic weights to separate these elements effectively and efficiently.
Recently, Researchers at Pennsylvania University found a method, yet to be patented, to separate mixtures of rare earth metals by combining a magnetic field with a decrease in temperature, a process that causes rare earth ions to crystallize at different rates.[2] The method already patented in the SASOR patent being divested uses similar technology but combines the magnetic fields with a patented modification of the traditional gravimetric method that has been used in the past. Many patents being developed today may infringe on the SASOR patent that is being divested.
[1] Roth et al, Rare Earth Elements in Alberta Oil Sand Process Streams, U.S. Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory, 2017
[2] Leotaud, A New Magnetic Way to Separate Rare Earths, Canadian Mining Journal, November 3, 2019.
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