ReElement Technologies Corporation, a rare earth element (REE) and critical mineral refining company affiliated with American Resources Corporation (Nasdaq: AREC), announced that it has successfully developed commercial processes to produce samarium (Sm) with purity greater than 99.9 %, a key material for advanced defense and industrial applications.

Production Breakthrough & Technical Achievement

ReElement's internally developed refining flow sheets have delivered samarium at greater than 99.9 % purity, meeting specifications sought by defense, aerospace and industrial partners for magnet-grade rare earth materials. The company's platform -- capable of processing recycled feedstocks and diverse ore inputs -- demonstrated this result using both customer-provided recycled material and mixed concentrates, showcasing its multi-mineral, multi-feedstock versatility.

Samarium is a critical component of samarium-cobalt (SmCo) permanent magnets, prized for their thermal stability and magnetic performance in extreme environments. These magnets are essential in applications such as precision-guided munitions, aircraft actuators, secure communications equipment, and high-temperature motors used in aerospace and space systems.

Strategic & Market Implications

Achieving ultra-high-purity samarium is significant because high-performance rare earth elements have historically been concentrated in foreign supply chains, particularly in China. ReElement's commercial refinement capability supports broader efforts to domestically source and refine critical minerals, aligning with national security and industrial competitiveness goals.

The company's modular refining technology -- designed for rapid deployment and co-location with feedstock sources -- reduces the capital and operational risks often associated with traditional solvent extraction methods. This positioning enables ReElement to respond quickly to customer needs while expanding production capacity at facilities such as the recently expanded Noblesville, Indiana refinery, which can already produce hundreds of tonnes of ultra-pure rare earth oxides annually.

Feedstock Flexibility & Circular Supply Chain

ReElement's platform supports both virgin ore materials and recycled sources -- including magnets and battery materials -- reinforcing a circular supply chain approach. Recent credit facility arrangements and refinancing initiatives by parent company American Resources have helped secure feedstocks and financing that will feed ReElement's expanding operations.

This flexibility not only strengthens domestic supply resilience but also aligns with broader industry trends toward sustainable critical mineral recovery and reduced reliance on imports for essential materials used in energy, defense, and high-tech manufacturing.

Outlook & Strategic Expansion

The samarium purity milestone follows other recent advances by ReElement, including expansion of refining capacity and intellectual property portfolios aimed at supporting a broad suite of rare earth and critical mineral products. With ongoing investments and partnerships -- including a significant strategic equity facility announced earlier in January 2026 to accelerate global refining capacity -- ReElement is positioning itself as a key midstream player in critical mineral supply chains.

Investors and industry watchers will be monitoring how commercial offtake agreements and production scaling progress throughout 2026, particularly as demand for high-performance magnets and defense-grade materials continues to grow.

Sources

• ReElement produces greater than 99.9 % pure samarium using commercial flow sheets.

• ReElement's refining platform supports recycled feedstocks and multi-mineral inputs.

• Expanded Noblesville facility producing ultra-pure rare earth elements including samarium.

• American Resources secures credit facility to expand feedstock acquisition for refining.

• Strategic equity facility supports larger refining expansion.

The post ReElement Technologies Achieves Ultra-High-Purity Samarium Production appeared first on PRISM MarketView.

COMTEX_472175855/2927/2026-01-20T10:31:08