General Chat / Discussion, page-13325

CLIMATES Project with Ionic Technologies, Less Common Metals and FORD coming to its conclusion








The amount of time needed by LCM to Convert 1 month's supply of REO's from Ionic Technologies into Magnet Alloys and for GKN to process and Manufacture Sintered Magnets from LCM.

All this information can be found on their websites. If you do some DD research

LCM can process 100 kg REOs per batch every 2 hours, so 8.5 batches
GKN can Smelter, Milling, Sintering, Tempering and Machining 708kgs




These Links below for further information on processing LCM and GKN

1 https://patents.google.com/patent/EP0170373B1/en
2 https://www.gme-magnet.com/info/how-are-sintered-ndfeb-permanent-magnets-produ-94717149.html
3 https://pt.scribd.com/document/180704720/GKN-Materials-and-Processes-EN-pdf
4 https://www.pm-review.com/gkn-powder-metallurgy-to-begin-production-of-permanent-magnets-for-electric-vehicles/

















So, Ionic-LCM-Ford partnership is currently operating at demonstration scale and the goal is to prove the technical and commercial viability of 100% recycled rare earth magnets in Ford’s EVs and to validate their performance in real-world applications before scaling up to commercial supply.

The Magnets made from Ionic’s recycled REOs are being tested and analyzed in Ford’s E-Drive motors, but this is a small fraction of total Halewood output of EV's coming from the plant, The majority of Ford’s current magnet supply for Halewood is probably from conventional (virgin) sources, likely imported from established global suppliers, mainly in China (high tariffs applied now) or Europe (Low Supplies) I'm guessing here, very hard to find FORD's magnet supplier.

Ford’s Halewood plant is currently ramping up production and is not expected to reach its full 420,000-unit annual capacity not until late 2026, At demonstration scale, Ionic’s plant can supply magnets for ~1,847 EVs/month, but Ford requires ~41,667 EVs/month (500,000/year). Scaling to Ionic’s commercial plant (400 tpa REOs) is critical for meeting Ford’s Halewood targets.

Ford’s ability to meet its EV production targets at Halewood-and to do so sustainably and securely-depends on the success and scaling of the Ionic Technologies and LCM partnership. This collaboration delivers a domestic, circular, and environmentally responsible supply of rare earth magnets, with robust government support and a clear pathway from demonstration to commercial scale.

Ford needs this partnership not just for supply, but for resilience, sustainability, and leadership in the next era of automotive manufacturing, the partnerships is a catalyst for high-quality job creation and skills development across the UK’s clean tech and automotive sectors.

Definitive Ford-LCM partnership are essential catalysts for UK government funding, C'mon Tim and Brett if you're still in the UK! As we also know, some time this month, IXR and LCM MOU will turn into a Definitive Agreement.