Our metals: Magnetic Rare Earths
Neodymium-Praseodymium (NdPr), Dysprosium (Dy), Terbium (Tb)
The magnetic rare earth elements neodymium, praseodymium, terbium, and dysprosium have been designated as “critical” by the US Government because they are essential to the high-performance permanent magnets that power modern defense systems, electric vehicles, wind turbines, robotics, and advanced electronics, and because their supply chains are dangerously concentrated. The US currently produces almost none of the heavy rare earths terbium and dysprosium, and China controls the overwhelming majority of global supply and processing. This is another reason why the Elk Creek Critical Minerals Project is so strategic for the US.
Neodymium-praseodymium magnets, strengthened with small additions of terbium and dysprosium for high-temperature performance, are the strongest permanent magnets ever produced. Demand for them has climbed sharply over the past decade because of their ability to:
Applications
Permanent Magnets
Neodymium and praseodymium form the basis of the strongest permanent magnets ever produced, with dysprosium and terbium added to maintain performance at high temperatures across a wide range of industrial and defense applications.
Precision Guided Missiles
The guidance systems and actuators inside precision guided missiles and advanced weapons systems rely on rare earth magnets to deliver the accuracy that defines modern warfare.
Humanoid Robots
Each humanoid robot contains 10 to 40 rare earth magnet actuators that control movement and precision, driving significant long-term demand as this rapidly growing industry scales.
Consumer Electronics
Smartphones, headphones, and hard drives all depend on rare earth magnets to pack powerful performance into smaller, lighter devices used by billions of people every day.
Wind Turbines
Direct-drive offshore wind turbines rely on rare earth magnets in their generators to produce clean electricity at scale, making a reliable domestic supply essential to America's energy transition.
Electric Vehicle Motors
At the center of nearly every electric vehicle on the road today sits a rare earth permanent magnet motor, with dysprosium and terbium ensuring those magnets perform reliably under the heat generated by high-powered drivetrains.
Magnetic Rare Earths Demand Drivers
Global supply shortages of heavy magnetic REEs are expected
Shortages of rare earth alloys for magnets forecast to be equal to one-third of the total market by 2035.
U.S. Policy Tailwinds: Project Vault, CHIPS Act and Executive Orders on critical minerals all support domestic REE supply
The U.S. imports ~80-90% of its REE needs. Federal policy has shifted decisively toward domestic sourcing, creating a structural, policy-backed demand floor for domestic REE producers.
Demand for humanoid robots will require significant REE volumes
Goldman Sachs projects the humanoid robot market to reach $38B by 2035; each humanoid robot contains 10–40 permanent magnet actuators, roughly 5–10x the NdFeB content of a conventional industrial robot arm.
Neodymium: Element 60
Praseodymium: Element 59
To learn more about magnetic rare earths, please see the Royal Society of Chemistry’s page here.