Rare Earth Elements Refine Aluminum Grains by Up to 50%, Opening New Markets for Cerium

Highlights

• Rare earth additions to cast aluminum alloys can reduce grain size by up to 50%, improving strength, wear resistance and heat stability.
• Cerium and lanthanum, abundant co-products of magnet-element mining, could find new commercial value in aluminum alloys like AA527, AA727 and AA8027.
• Ames National Laboratory reports experimental cerium oxide incorporation yields of 95% with potential cost reductions of 20–50%, though results remain research-stage.
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Ames National Laboratory and Eck Industries have advanced aluminum-cerium commercialization into engine components and turbines.
• Industrial adoption, repeatable performance and pricing will determine whether cerium alloys meaningfully diversify rare earth demand beyond permanent magnets.