La compa\u00f1\u00eda estadounidense ION MINERAL TECHNOLOGIES (Ionic MT) anunci\u00f3 el descubrimiento de un nuevo yacimiento de \u201cTierras raras\u201d (RE) y \u201cMinerales Cr\u00edticos\u201d en el desierto de Utah (EEUU). Los ensayos realizados sobre las muestras obtenidas, indicar\u00edan que se trata de una de las mayores concentraciones en cantidad y calidad de estos elementos cr\u00edticos en el pa\u00eds, lo que permitir\u00eda reducir la dependencia de proveedores externos como China. Los citados materiales resultan indispensables en \u00e1reas tecnol\u00f3gicas como la IA, Sistemas de Armas y Veh\u00edculos El\u00e9ctricos (EV).<\/p>\n
A US battery materials manufacturer has confirmed the discovery of a high-grade deposit of rare earth and critical minerals beneath the sands of Utah\u2019s desert that could cut reliance on foreign supplies for AI, defense and EV batteries.<\/p>\n
Provo-based Ionic Mineral Technologies (Ionic MT) announced that independent assays have verified one of North America\u2019s most significant concentrations of rare earth elements and critical technology metals.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Found in ion-adsorption clay formations at the company\u2019s Silicon Ridge project, the deposit is of particular significance. Similar geological formations account for roughly 35\u201340 percent of China\u2019s total rare earth production and more than 70 percent of the world\u2019s heavy rare earth supply.<\/p>\n
Ionic MT said the 74,000-square-foot site contains roughly 16 different types of high-quality minerals including lithium, gallium, germanium, rubidium, cesium, vanadium, tungsten, niobium, as well as light and heavy rare earth elements.<\/p>\n
The Silicon Ridge discovery<\/strong><\/p>\n The firm stated that data from 106 boreholes spanning more than 32,808 feet (10,000 meters), together with 35 trenches across a 650-acre area, revealed an average combined\u00a0rare earth<\/a>\u00a0and critical metals grade of around 2,700 parts per million in the clay fraction.<\/p>\n This compares favorably with well-known Chinese ion-adsorption\u00a0clay deposits<\/a>, which grade between 500 and 2,000 ppm. The grade has so far been confirmed across just 11 percent of the project area and to depths of around 100 feet. This indicates significant potential for expansion.
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