Toyota Arm Slates Indian Rare Earths

Toyota Tsusho is considering the construction of a 4,000-metric-ton-per-year rare-earth-oxides plant in Orissa, a state in India, with partners Shin-Etsu Chemical and Nuclear Power Corp. of India Ltd. NPCIL obtains rare-earth chloride mixtures as a by-product of the extraction of uranium and thorium from ores. Shin-Etsu, a leading producer of rare-earth materials, will contribute manufacturing know-how. China is by far the world’s largest producer of rare earths, but users have been looking for alternative sources after China started to impose export restrictions earlier this year (C&EN, Aug. 30, page 9).