Lynas Malaysia produces first samarium oxide

2026-03-19 - 01:00

Lynas Rare Earths Ltd is the only supplier of both light and heavy rare earth oxides outside China. (EPA Images pic) PETALING JAYA: Lynas Rare Earths Ltd today announced that its Malaysian facility had produced its first batch of samarium oxide, marking an expansion of its heavy rare earth product line. In a statement, the company said the milestone raised its number of separated heavy rare earth oxides to three, alongside dysprosium and terbium, reinforcing its position as the only commercial producer of such materials outside China. The production comes ahead of schedule, brought forward from its initial target of April this year, following the announced expansion of the separation facility at Lynas Malaysia last October. Lynas said additional processing capacity would be rolled out progressively over the next two years. Further expansion to produce elements such as europium, holmium, ytterbium, and erbium will depend on securing commercial agreements that justify the investment. CEO and managing director Amanda Lacaze said the achievement demonstrated the unique expertise and capabilities of its in-house team outside China. “The addition of samarium oxide means that we can provide an expanded suite of light and heavy rare earths that customers will use to produce high-performance permanent magnets,” she said. “This supports our objective of building diversified and resilient rare earth supply chains and is an exciting achievement in our Towards 2030 growth strategy.” Samarium oxide is used in high-performance magnets for electronics and aerospace, as well as in optical, catalyst, and medical applications. Earlier this month, the Australian rare earths producer secured a 10-year renewal of its licence to import and process rare earths in Malaysia.