Terra Magnetica

Earlier today, the United States Magnet Materials Association [USMMA] announced that Thorium Energy, Inc. has joined its ranks.  Thorium Energy owns rare earth resources in Lemhi Pass, located in Idaho and Montana. According to the USMMA, this move “expands the coalition’s focus on rare earth materials and the rare earth magnet supply chain”.

The USMMA was founded in 2006 by three US magnet manufacturers: Thomas & Skinner, producers of cast & sintered Alnico magnets; Hoosier Magnetics, manufacturers of hard ferrite powders used for permanent magnets; and Electron Energy, producers of samarium-based [Sm-Co] permanent magnets.  According to the USMMA, the organization was formed “to advocate on behalf of the specialty metals clause found at 10 U.S.C. 2533b”.

While I am not a fan of the the USMMA’s support for specific restrictions on the procurement of rare earth permanent magnets, via the specialty metals clause, I do, however, support their stated aims of the “reintroduction of a competitive rare earth supply chain in the United States”.  I discussed this very subject in my recent article on rare earths and specialty metals.

The USMMA is the second rare earths-related industry organization in the news, in recent days.  The Rare Earth Industry and Technology Association [REITA] just recently officially announced its formation.  REITA was founded by Molycorp Minerals, to further the goals of its members, regarding the rare earth metals supply chain in the USA. Electron Energy is member of both the USMMA and REITA.

According to their Web site, Thorium Energy’s rare earth resources include significant quantities of neodymium, a critical component of neodymium-based [Nd-Fe-B] rare earth permanent magnets.

You can read the original press release on Thorium Energy’s new membership of the USMMA here.