Water-based system slashes harsh chemical use to separate rare earths at 99.9% purity

Maglut Heavy Industries has unveiled ARC-1, a water-based chromatography system that separates rare earth elements into high-purity oxides at over 99.9% purity, without the heavy chemical use of traditional methods. Borrowed from biotech, the technology uses custom-built resins to isolate individual elements from mixed feedstocks. With new U.S. Department of War rules starting in January 2027 requiring defense contractors to cut China from rare earth supply chains, ARC-1 could fill a critical gap.