Pure Resources Limited (ASX:PR1)

Pure Resources Limited (ASX: PR1) announced that its Strategic Partnership Project with Oak Ridge National Laboratory has advanced from proof-of-concept recovery of rare earth elements from garnet at the Garnet Hills Project to phase characterisation of reaction products using X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy, with the work intended to support an invention disclosure and guide the next phase of laboratory testwork. The company emphasised that the programme targets the full rare earth suite, not just neodymium and praseodymium for magnets, with strategic interest in heavy and minor rare earths such as erbium, ytterbium, yttrium and europium because of their roles in quantum computing, quantum networking, photonics, precision optics and defence applications, although these uses are not expected to be material revenue drivers due to their very small consumption volumes. Pure Resources stated that the work remains early-stage, laboratory-scale, preliminary and qualitative, with no recovery rates, purities, grades, Exploration Results, Mineral Resources or Ore Reserves reported, while process details remain confidential to protect prospective patent and licensing opportunities; planned next steps include completing phase characterisation, quantifying recovery, assessing distribution of individual rare earths, reviewing separation and purification pathways, and advancing the company’s intellectual property position.