China currently owns and processes most of the world’s rare earth minerals. Ongoing tariff disputes are adding heat to an already hot race to catch up. The U.S. is making some progress, thanks to a new facility in Blacksburg.
Inside a small building at Virginia Tech’s Corporate Research Center, five scientists hold beakers and study chemical readings—all steps to separate some of the world’s most rare earth elements.
The site’s operation manager, William Hedley, holds up jars that contain different colored dust—green, blue, black and pink…