From the outset of Molycorp’s re-launch in 2008, we have been dedicated to expanding the diversity of global rare earth supply and to constructing a vertically integrated “mine-to-magnetics” supply chain. We want to produce high-quality rare earth materials across all five stages of the rare earth mine-to-magnetics value chain.
As a result of several acquisitions and a joint venture with Japan’s Daido Steel, Ltd., and the Mitsubishi Corporation, we are now positioned to produce high-quality rare earth materials along all production stages of this supply chain. This is illustrated below:
Molycorp’s Mine-To-Magnetics Supply Chain
- Rare Earth Mining and Concentrate Production – We mine rare earths and produce rare earth concentrate at Molycorp Mountain Pass (California), home to one of the world’s largest and richest rare earth ore deposits.
- Rare Earth Oxide Separation – We produce rare earth oxides, including ultra-high-purity materials, at four locations around the world: Mountain Pass, California; Sillamäe, Estonia; Jiangsu, China; and Shangdong, China.
- Rare Earth Metal Manufacture – We manufacture rare earth metal at our facilities in Tolleson, Arizona; Sillamäe, Estonia; and at other facilities around the world.
- Rare Earth Alloy Manufacture – We manufacture rare earth alloys at Molycorp Metals & Alloys, in Tolleson, Arizona; Molycorp Silmet, in Sillamäe, Estonia; and at our Molycorp Magnequench facilities in Tianjin, China and in Korat, Thailand.
- Rare Earth Magnetic Material Manufacture – Through Intermetallics Japan, our joint venture with Daido Steel and Mitsubishi Corporation, we will manufacture sintered, permanent NdFeB magnets. We also manufacture magnetic materials (magnet powders and other inputs to permanent rare earth magnets) at a variety of our facilities.