Rainbow Rare Earths Ltd (LSE:RBW, OTC:RBWRF) earlier this week confirmed that it had eliminated a key technical risk for its Phalaborwa project by adopting solvent extraction as its final separation method. The company told investors that its previous approach - ion chromatography - had not achieved the required purity levels.
Rainbow Rare Earths Limited (OTCPK:RBWRF) Discusses Adoption of Solvent Extraction for Rare Earth Separation at Phalaborwa Project November 26, 2025 5:00 AM EST Company Participants George Sidney Bennett - CEO & Executive Director Dave Dodd - Technical Director Presentation George Sidney Bennett CEO & Executive Director This is on the back of our announcement yesterday that we've decided to use SX as the optimal route for separation for our Phalaborwa project in South Africa, and this is to separate rare earths out of phosphogypsum. Joining me is our Technical Director, Dave Dodd, and together, we'll go through the presentation that you'll be seeing up on your screens.
Rainbow Rare Earths Ltd (LSE:RBW, OTC:RBWRF) told investors it has selected solvent extraction as the final separation method for its Phalaborwa project in South Africa. The company said in a pre-feasibility report that it had confirmed SX as the optimal route to produce separated NdPr oxide and a SEG+ product at purities above 99.5%.
Rainbow Rare Earths Ltd (LSE:RBW, OTC:RBWRF) shares climbed 5% to 19.9p after the company said a sharp jump in European yttrium oxide prices is set to deliver a meaningful lift to the economics of its Phalaborwa project in South Africa. The company noted that yttrium, now included in its SEG+ mixed rare-earth product, has seen extreme price moves this year.
Rainbow Rare Earths Ltd (LSE:RBW, OTC:RBWRF) told investors that a surge in European yttrium oxide prices is expected to have a material positive impact on the economics of the Phalaborwa project. The company said yttrium is now included in the project's SEG+ mixed rare earth product.
Rainbow Rare Earths Ltd (LSE:RBW, OTC:RBWRF) CEO George Bennett talked with Proactive about the latest resource update at its Phalaborwa project, which now includes yttrium — a rare earth element recently added to China's export control list. Bennett noted that yttrium, alongside samarium and gadolinium, is considered a critical mineral by the U.S.
Rainbow Rare Earths Ltd (LSE:RBW, OTC:RBWRF) has strengthened the value proposition of its Phalaborwa project in South Africa after updating its mineral resource estimate to include yttrium, a heavy rare earth element (REE) that has been under Chinese export controls since April. The update confirms Phalaborwa as a near-term, strategic source of both medium and heavy REE, including dysprosium, terbium, samarium, europium, gadolinium and yttrium, alongside the critical light elements neodymium and praseodymium.
Rainbow Rare Earths Ltd (LSE:RBW, OTC:RBWRF) has confirmed that its Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) for the Phalaborwa rare earths project in South Africa remains on track for completion in 2026, a key step towards construction starting the following year. The AIM-listed company said that once the study is finished, the final permitting process will run alongside project financing, positioning it to begin building the facility in 2027.
Rainbow Rare Earths Ltd (LSE:RBW, OTC:RBWRF) told investors that test work at its Johannesburg laboratory has produced a high-purity mixed rare earth carbonate averaging more than 55% total rare earth oxides, compared to an industry benchmark of 42%. The company said the continuous ion exchange process has also delivered feed consistently above 93% purity, enabling progress towards final separation of rare earth oxides.
Rainbow Rare Earths Ltd (LSE:RBW, OTC:RBWRF) told investors it has begun an Economic Assessment for the Uberaba rare earths project, in Brazil, in partnership with The Mosaic Company. The study will assess the recovery of rare earths from phosphogypsum at Mosaic's phosphoric acid facility.
Rainbow Rare Earths Ltd (LSE:RBW, OTC:RBWRF) has updated on the progress of laboratory test work and trade-off studies at its Phalaborwa project in South Africa. The company's in-house laboratory in Johannesburg has been operational for around three months.
Rainbow Rare Earths Ltd (LSE:RBW, OTC:RBWRF) CEO George Bennett explains the good numbers behind its latest interim study for the Phalaborwa project in South Africa. George Bennett: We had indicated to the market that we would have an interim study out before the end of the year.