Rare Earth
Rare Earth Elements (REE)
The rare earth elements (REE) are critical components of almost all 'high-tech' or 'green' products such as energy-efficient hybrid or electric cars, wind turbines, LED screens and smartphones. A Toyota Prius for example, contains from 10 -- 25kg of REE, depending on the source; a traditional gas-powered car requires less than five kg.
| Application | Rare Earth | Demand Drivers |
|---|---|---|
| Magnets | Neodymium, Praseodymium, Samarium, Terbium, Dysprosium | Renewable power generation, hybrid vehicle electric motors, hard drives for computers, mobile phones, MP3 players, cameras |
| Battery Alloy | Lanthanum, Cerium, Praseodymium, Neodymium | Hybrid electric vehicles, hydrogen absorption alloys for rechargeable batteries |
| Phosphors | Europium, Yttrium, Terbium, Lanthanum, Dysprosium, Cerium, Praseodymium, Gadolinium | LCDs and PDPs, energy-efficient fluorescent lights |
| Fluid Cracking | Lanthanum, Cerium, Praseodymium, Neodymium | Petroleum production -- heavy oil and tar sands |
| Auto Catalysts | Cerium, Lanthanum, Neodymium | NOx Sox reduction, recycling of rare earths not prevalent |
| Polishing Powders | Cerium | Mechano-chemical polishing powders for TVs, monitors, mirrors and (in nano-particulate form) silicon chips |
| Ceramics | Lanthanum, Cerium, Praseodymium, Neodymium, Yttrium | Ceramic capacitors PSZ in advanced ceramics (turbine blade coatings) |
| Glass Additive | Cerium, Lanthanum, Neodymium, Europium | Cerium cuts down transmission of UV light. La increases glass refractive index for digital camera lenses |
| Fiber Optics | Erbium, Yttrium, Terbium, Europium | Signal amplification |
China produces approximately 96% of the world's REE, although for some important HREE including dysprosium and terbium, the number is 100%. As is the case with other specialty metals such as tungsten, concerns about supplies from China have led to dramatic price increases in the last few years. As China squeezes global supply and uses for REE continue to grow, the world will need new REE deposits.
The result of this situation has been a surge in investment into companies working to develop new REE deposits outside of China. This includes efforts by companies to evaluate more advanced projects as well as to expand early-stage exploration, particularly in countries such as Canada and Australia.
The rare earth element group comprises 17 elements including 15 elements belonging to a chemical group called lanthanides. Despite the name, REE aren't particularly rare, and are in fact relatively plentiful in the earth's crust. Some are more abundant than silver or copper for example.
The rare earth elements can be divided into HREE (heavy rare earth elements) and LREE (light rare earth elements). LREE are generally more abundant, easier to extract and have a lower value. Mineral deposits usually contain both varieties but the more valuable ones have a higher percentage of the HREE. As a result, companies typically report REE analyses in terms of total rare earth oxides (TREO) as well as light rare earth oxides (LREO) and heavy rare earth oxides (HREO).
| Light Rare Earths | Symbol | Applications |
|---|---|---|
| Yttrium | Y | Red phosphor, fluorescent lamps, ceramics, metal alloy agent |
| Lanthanum | La | Hybrid engines, metal alloys, fluid cracking (heavy oil), flint, hydrogen storage |
| Cerium | Ce | Polishing powder, auto catalyst, petroleum refining, metal alloys |
| Praseodymium | Pr | Magnets, battery alloy, lasers |
| Neodymium | Ne | Permanent magnets, auto catalyst, petroleum refining, lasers |
| Promethium | Pm | Nuclear battery (does not occur in nature) |
| Samarium | Sm | Magnets |
| Europium | Eu | Red colour for television and computer screens |
| Gadolinium | Gd | Magnets |
| Heavy Rare Earths | Symbol | Applications |
|---|---|---|
| Terbium | Tb | Phosphors, permanent magnets |
| Dysprosium | Dy | Permanent magnets, hybrid engines |
| Holmium | Hm | Glass colouring, lasers |
| Erbium | Er | Phosphors |
| Thulium | Tm | Medical x-ray units |
| Ytterbium | Tb | Lasers, steel alloys |
| Lutetium | Lu | Catalysts in petroleum refining |
The most commercially important REE deposits are hosted by special types of magmatic igneous rocks referred to as 'peralkaline' or 'carbonatites', with the REE-bearing minerals being concentrated in the youngest veins and structures. The two most important minerals in REE deposits are monazite and bastnasite REE are mostly exploited as by-products of the mining of other metals such as iron, zirconium, niobium and tin.
Most REE from China for example are produced this way. Primary REE deposits are rare, with a notable example being Molycorp Minerals' Mountain Pass mine in California.
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