Rare earth elements, antimony, germanium, indium, gallium, lithium, cobalt, and other critical minerals underpin defense systems, semiconductors, EVs, and the energy transition — and Western supply chains are dangerously concentrated. Avimetal builds the modular, low-emission processing systems that allow miners, recyclers, and government-backed programs to bring critical-mineral production back onshore.
Critical mineral recovery typically requires complex chemistries — selective leaching, solvent extraction, pH-controlled precipitation, and fine-grained physical separation. Avimetal’s platform pairs micronization and dry concentration with Hydrogen Plasma Refining, which uses a DC-pulsed non-thermal hydrogen plasma to selectively reduce and separate iron, base metals, precious metals, and rare earth elements. The same modular containerized footprint supports primary REE ore processing, recycling of permanent magnets and electronic scrap, and recovery of byproduct critical minerals from base-metal smelter residues.
Recommended Avimetal Stack
- Tornado Mill — fine grinding required for REE liberation
- Wet Gravity & Dry Concentration Modules — pre-concentration of REE-bearing minerals
- Hybrid Plasma Smelting — primary processing of refractory critical-mineral feeds
- Hydrogen Plasma Refining — selective metal recovery and separation
- Autoclave Module — high-pressure leach for refractory mineralogy
- Containerized Modular Plant — full pilot-to-production scaling
Why Now
- US Defense Production Act, DOE Critical Minerals strategy, and EU CRMA actively funding domestic recovery
- China’s dominance over REE refining capacity driving Western reshoring
- End-of-life permanent magnets (wind turbines, EVs, hard drives) emerging as a major secondary source
- Smelter byproducts (Sb, Ge, In, Ga) increasingly recovered as standalone revenue streams
- Government grants, loans, and offtake support available for qualifying projects
Who It's For
REE exploration and mining companies · Permanent-magnet recyclers · Lithium-ion battery recyclers · Electronic scrap processors · Smelter operators with byproduct critical-mineral potential · Government-funded and defense-contracted projects
Call to Action
Request a Critical-Minerals Processing Assessment. Avimetal will evaluate your feed material, map the recovery flow sheet, and identify applicable government programs that may support project funding.