The US House of Representatives has passed legislation that is set to see the return of rare earth magnet production to US soil.
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) cited an “urgent need” for magnet supply independence for neodymium-iron-boron (Nd-Fe-B) magnets core to missiles and guidance systems technology.
Production of Nd-Fe-B permanent magnets has left US shores over the last 10 years, with technology patents now owned by Japanese and other foreign companies. Magnet producers Vacuumschmelze, Hitachi Magnetics and Magnequench have all closed US plants since 2003, with the latter moving operations to China from which the USA relies on rare earths feedstock.
Having passed through the House, the Senate must now work on its own version of the NDAA before the two can be brought together and passed as legislation later in 2010.
The timing of the legislation was apt as China revealed that it is tighten...