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Hertha Metals hits 99.95% iron purity for US rare earth magnets
The Houston-based startup said its next Chalyx facility will begin producing the same 3N5-specification high-purity iron, targeting domestic magnet supply as requirements tighten.
Hertha Metals said it has produced iron at 99.95% purity, meeting the 3N5 specification required by top rare earth magnet manufacturers at its demonstration-scale steelmaking facility in Conroe, Texas.
According to Mining.com, the company is aiming to close a gap in the US rare earth magnet supply chain and reduce reliance on Chinese-origin magnets as defense manufacturers move toward a January 1, 2027 deadline to cut that dependence.
Hertha said it is developing FLEXHERS, a process it describes as flexible fuel hydrogen electric reduction smelting that combines electric arc furnace technology with natural gas or hydrogen to produce iron and steel.
The company also said its next facility, Chalyx, will break ground this fall to make high-purity iron to the same specification for rare-earth magnet producers, noting that high-purity iron is a key input for NdFeB magnets.
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