Hertha Metals reaches 99.95% iron purity for US based rare-earth magnet production

Hertha Metals has produced high-purity iron at 99.95 percent (3N5) using fully domestic US inputs. High-purity iron makes up roughly 70 percent by weight of neodymium magnets used in electric vehicles, wind turbines, and defense systems. Interestingly, a Texas-based startup has become the first U.S. company to achieve 3N5 purity domestically. It meets the strict purity standards set by leading rare-earth magnet producers. The development hits the market at an opportune time. Come January 1, 2027, strict Department of Defense mandates will bar Chinese-origin magnets and constituent materials from US defense platforms. Defense contractors, EV makers, and wind turbine builders are rushing to qualify non-Chinese suppliers before the deadline. “High-purity iron is one of the least visible materials behind the magnets that power everything from electric vehicles to defense systems, and today almost none of it is made in America,” said Laureen Meroueh, CEO and founder of Hertha Metals. “We’ve now demonstrated that we can produce magnet-grade iron domestically, creating a new pathway to build a domestic supply chain.” Single-step process Steel and its byproduct, high-purity iron, are foundational to modern industry, defense systems, and clean technology. Despite their importance, the US is dependent on foreign supply chains, importing 25 percent of its finished steel and over 90 percent of its high-purity iron, primarily from China. Although recycled scrap covers a portion of American steel production, scrap supplies are limited and contain impurities that prevent its use in advanced steel grades. As a result, meeting growing demand requires producing new “virgin” steel, but current domestic manufacturing still depends on a centuries-old, coal-based process that is both costly and accounts for industrial emissions. Hertha cleared the technical bar to become a lower-cost domestic supplier by controlling key chemical and metallic impurities on commercial-grade equipment. Typical ultra-pure iron production requires multi-step electrolytic refining, but Hertha achieves 99.95 percent (3N5) purity in a single continuous pyrometallurgical step with minimal post-processing. The pyrometallurgical process removes oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and metallic impurities in a single continuous step at a lower cost. Cutting emissions and scaling The company isn’t lingering at the proof-of-concept phase. Having already proven its process at a one-ton-per-day demonstration scale, Hertha is shifting gears toward commercial production at its upcoming facility, Chalyx. Groundbreaking is slated for later this year. “Hertha already operates a demonstration-scale facility in Conroe, Texas, producing at a ton-per-day capacity and refining its process using commercial-grade equipment. The company is now prepared on both quality and process to supply magnet manufacturers with cost-effective and domestic high-purity iron, starting with Chalyx, which breaks ground later this year,” the company stated. The upcoming Chalyx facility will be able to scale initial commercial capacity to approximately 9,000–10,000 metric tons per year, with long-term goals targeting 500,000 tons annually. As per the company, it’s flexible-fuel furnace can process low-purity ores (<60%), iron ore fines, and millscale waste, unlocking vast domestic reserves while slashing raw material costs. Operating on abundant natural gas, the system is 30 percent more energy-efficient than standard steelmaking and cuts emissions by at least 50 percent. It can also transition to clean hydrogen with zero hardware modifications, enabling up to a 98 percent reduction in total emissions. Get the latest in engineering, tech, space & science - delivered daily to your inbox.Mrigakshi is a science journalist who enjoys writing about space exploration, biology, and technological innovations. Her work has been featured in well-known publications including Nature India, Supercluster, The Weather Channel and Astronomy magazine. If you have pitches in mind, please do not hesitate to email her.