Momentum Technologies, a company focused on critical mineral and metal recovery for reuse, announced that its Carrollton, Texas demonstration plant has begun commercial-scale processing of rare earth element (REE) waste from magnet swarf and mining tailings using its proprietary Membrane Solvent Extraction (MSX) technology.
The process aims to expand the domestic supply of high-value rare earths such as neodymium, praseodymium, and dysprosium, which are critical to permanent magnets used in electric vehicle (EV) motors and other advanced energy systems.
The Carrollton facility marks a key milestone in Momentum’s effort to expand US rare-earth recovery capacity and strengthen supply chains for EV and clean energy manufacturing.
Momentum’s expansion into REE recovery builds on earlier work applying its patented MSX platform to achieve commercial-grade, high-purity nickel, cobalt, and lithium streams from end-of-life batteries, with yields above 90% and product purity exceeding 99%. The MSX process uses modular, decentralized refining that can operate near suppliers instead of relying on large centralized plants.
The United States imports about 80 to 90% of its rare earth elements from China, yet an estimated 2,000 tons of recyclable REE scrap exists domestically. At commercial scale, Momentum’s technology provides an economically viable method to recycle rare earths needed for EV motors, reducing dependence on imports and improving material sustainability in the automotive sector.
“For years, thousands of tons of valuable rare-earth materials from production waste, end-of-life magnets, and mining tailings have gone unrecovered,” said Mahesh Konduru, CEO of Momentum Technologies. “Our MSX process enables cost-effective recovery, turning these waste streams into useful materials that strengthen America’s EV and clean energy supply chains.”
The company’s technology has gained attention from investors, automotive manufacturers, and government agencies working to improve access to critical minerals. Earlier this year, company executives participated in a White House summit with rare-earth stakeholders to discuss reshoring magnet materials essential to EV and defense manufacturing. Momentum is collaborating with industrial partners to develop mine-to-magnet projects that can meet projected U.S. rare-earth demand through 2030 and beyond.
Developed through a long-standing collaboration with the US Department of Energy (DOE), Momentum’s technology has advanced from laboratory scale to commercial deployment. DOE’s Technology Commercialization Fund and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, in partnership with the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), supported the validation of MSX for separating heavy rare earths such as dysprosium. The Carrollton facility represents the completion of that scale-up, positioning Momentum as a key contributor to domestic rare-earth recycling for EVs and clean technologies.
Rare earth magnets composed of alloys including neodymium, praseodymium, samarium, dysprosium, and terbium are used in electric vehicles, satellites, robotics, defense systems, and industrial motors.
According to the International Energy Agency’s Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2025, global demand for rare earth elements is expected to grow by 50 to 60% by 2040, while less than one percent of the current supply is recycled.
Filed Under: Technology News