Trump Tells Pentagon to Find Better Sources of Rare Earth Magnet
July 23rd, 2019Via: Reuters:
U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday told the Pentagon to find better ways to procure a rare earth magnet used in specialty motors, warning that the nation’s defense would suffer without adequate stockpiles.
Attention is growing on rare earths, an obscure grouping of 17 minerals used to build weapons, consumer electronics and a range of other goods. There are no known substitutes.
Trump said that the United States did not have enough capacity to make samarium cobalt rare earth permanent magnets, which can withstand high temperatures and are resistant to corrosion. They are commonly found in precision-guided missiles, smart bombs and military jets.
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