U.S. Defense Industry Dodged a Rare-Earth Shortage After China's Curbs (opens in new tab)

(nytimes.com)

3 pointsrediguanayum3mo ago1 comments

1 comments

  * US military depends on samarium instead of neodymium magnets due to it's high heat tolerance.
  * For example samarium rare-earth magnets motors are used to control the fins of Tomahawk cruise missiles.
  * Due to tariff war, China cut off some rare-earth exports including samarium
  * Contractors got creative with sourcing about 100 tons of samarium from France and processing in Europe and United States
  * Future sources of samarium need to be discovered

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

1 comments

rediguanayumOP3mo ago

  * US military depends on samarium instead of neodymium magnets due to it's high heat tolerance.
  * For example samarium rare-earth magnets motors are used to control the fins of Tomahawk cruise missiles.
  * Due to tariff war, China cut off some rare-earth exports including samarium
  * Contractors got creative with sourcing about 100 tons of samarium from France and processing in Europe and United States
  * Future sources of samarium need to be discovered

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse