Aim- and ASX-listed Sovereign Metals has recovered a monazite product containing high-value heavy rare earth elements (REE) from the tailings stream generated during rutile processing at its upgraded Lilongwe laboratory facilities, in Malawi.

The concentrate was recovered from material that would otherwise be discarded, that is, the non-conductor tailings stream from electrostatic separation of a heavy mineral gravity concentrate of ore from the company’s Kasiya rutile/graphite project in the country.

Producing a monazite concentrate would therefore require no additional complex processing, Sovereign Metals explains.

Chemical analysis of magnetic concentrates from processed resource drilling samples performed by Scientific Services South Africa confirmed the favourable rare earth oxide distributions produced from the monazite concentrate.

Preliminary analysis has confirmed the monazite concentrate contains exceptional heavy rare earth content averaging 2.9% (and up to 3.9%) combined dysprosium and terbium, and averaging 11.9% (and up to 17.3%) yttrium, as well as light rare earth content including 21.8% neodymium/praseodymium.

This composition sets Kasiya apart from all major global rare earth producers, Sovereign Metals posits.

The five largest operations, which together account for 70% of global production, are dominated by light REEs, the company points out.

“Strategically critical heavy rare earths urgently required by the US, Japan and the EU advanced technology, defence and industrial supply chains are present only in trace amounts, or absent entirely, in these deposits,” it explains.

“This is an exceptional development that has the potential to fundamentally enhance Kasiya's strategic significance. With simple processing, our upgraded laboratory has recovered a valuable monazite concentrate product from the rutile tailings stream, with heavy rare earth content that the world's major producers simply cannot match,” Sovereign Metals MD and CEO Frank Eagar enthuses.

“These are precisely the elements that matter most to nations seeking to protect and grow their critical mineral supply chains. Dysprosium and terbium enable permanent magnets to function in advanced technologies, including robotics, fighter jets, guided missiles and naval propulsion systems.

“Yttrium protects jet engines and hypersonic vehicles from extreme temperatures. China imposed export controls on all three in April 2025, and Western supply chains are now acutely exposed,” he warns.

“What makes this value addition particularly significant is that this product was recovered from our rutile processing tailings stream. We are not currently contemplating a complex, standalone rare earth operation. We have recovered critically strategic rare earths from what would otherwise be discarded – a by-product of the processing route we will use for rutile and graphite production,” Eagar highlights.

Kasiya’s rutile will feed aerospace-grade titanium production.

“Our graphite is essential for battery anodes and traditional industrial applications. And now Kasiya has the potential to also deliver critical heavy rare earths. We have an exciting workstream ahead of us as the potential of the heavy rare earth minerals is delineated,” Eagar avers.