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Rare Earths Breakthrough: New Process Unlocks Key Elements
16 Feb
Summary
- First high-quality mixed rare earth carbonate produced from Jupiter project.
- Key elements neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, terbium upgraded.
- Refinery-ready grade achieved with 58% total rare earth oxides.

Critica Limited has achieved a significant milestone with its Jupiter project in Western Australia, successfully producing its first high-quality mixed rare earth carbonate. This development is a crucial step toward creating a commercial, repeatable, and scalable carbonate product.
The company's testwork, utilizing a conventional sulfuric acid bake, demonstrated the ability to upgrade critical magnet elements. These include neodymium and praseodymium, along with dysprosium and terbium.
Undertaken by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), further analysis confirmed the carbonate's high quality. It achieved a refinery-ready grade of 58 percent total rare earth oxides (TREO) and a recovery rate of about 80 percent TREO.
With potential for recycling in a commercial process, overall recovery of TREO could be enhanced to as much as 89 percent. This advancement positions the project favorably for future rare earth production.




