Highlights

• RERI wins First and Second Prizes in 2024 Inner Mongolia Science and Technology Awards for innovative rare earth technologies
• Breakthrough projects focus on eco-friendly additives and high-quality steel production with reduced environmental impact
• Research demonstrates China's advancing technological expertise in rare earth value chain from processing to advanced material design

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The Inner Mongolia Rare Earth Research Institute (RERI)—a subsidiary of China Northern Rare Earth Group (CNRE)—has once again been recognized for scientific excellence (opens in a new tab). According to the 2024 Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Science and Technology Award list released this week, the institute won First Prize for Technological Invention and Second Prize for Scientific and Technological Progress for two landmark projects advancing rare earth manufacturing and alloying technologies.

Project One: Greener, Smarter Rare Earth Additives

The first award went to RERI’s “Key Manufacturing Technology for New Eco-Friendly Rare Earth Functional Additives.” This research tackles long-standing industry challenges—pollution, low efficiency, and inconsistent product performance—that have plagued traditional rare earth additive production.

By developing a novel green synthesis route and optimized reaction process, the team achieved high-performance, low-emission production of rare earth additives now used in polymer materials and new-energy components. The project reportedly cut energy use and emissions sharply while improving product stability, and has already been scaled up at multiple enterprises across Inner Mongolia and beyond.

For Beijing, this marks a critical step in the national agenda to “green” the rare earth value chain—linking environmental compliance with advanced materials innovation.

Project Two: Stronger, Cleaner Steel with Rare Earth Precision

The second prize recognized RERI’s “Key Technology for High-Quality Rare Earth Intermediate Alloys and Its Application.” This research combines precise rare earth element control with impurity removal and modern steel refining techniques to enhance strength, ductility, and corrosion resistance in high-end steels.

The result is a more cost-efficient, low-carbon process for integrating rare earths into metallurgical production—an approach that improves product performance while reducing material waste and operational costs. Experts note this innovation supports China’s high-end steel upgrade program, especially in sectors like defense, transport, and renewable energy infrastructure.

Implications

These awards showcase China’s deepening technological mastery of the “hidden layers” of the rare earth ecosystem—chemical processing, functional additives, and metallurgical applications. The breakthroughs strengthen the nation’s vertical integration from mining to advanced material design—an area where Western producers remain fragmented.

For the West, the message seems relevant per the Rare Earth Exchanges (REEx) review: China is no longer just the refiner; it is fast becoming the innovator. RERI’s success signals that state-backed R&D continues to close the gap between scientific research and industrial application, especially in green, high-value rare-earth manufacturing.  REEx has raised the Two Rare Earth Base China paradigm—that the nation’s industrial policy and development plans focus now downstream on innovation in key verticals.

Disclaimer: This translation is based on content from Baotou Daily, a state-affiliated publication under China Northern Rare Earth Group. The information originates from a state-owned source and should be independently verified.

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