Businesses and countries care about rare earth elements
because they are in everything from smartphones, laptops and tablet computers
to batteries for hybrid or electric cars.
Rare earth elements are generally defined as the 17
lanthanoids (elements with atomic numbers 57 [lanthium] through 71 [lutetium])
and the two “step-children” of row three of scandium with atomic number 21 and
yttrium with atomic number 39. All 17 of
these elements have similar chemical structures that give them special uses in
mechanical, chemical, metallurgical, optical, catalytic, nuclear, magnetic, and
abrasive properties.
Analysis of available information indicates that the rare
earth elements are not all that rare.
Availability in the Earth’s crust of rare earths is about the same as
that of copper. The problem is in the
locations of the mines containing the elements, separations, and purifications
overlaid with a variety of political and environmental issues. A downside is that there may be radioactive
waste, huge environmental waste ponds, and unsightly strip mines. Dumping the
waste into the oceans may endanger fishing industries. Beyond the environmental
concerns are political policies and concerns. China’s Ministry of Commerce
published the “Announcement on the Application Conditions and Procedures for
Export Quotas of Rare Earth in 2013” on December 5, 2012.
Also, processing rare earths can be a messy business,
especially in China. Required are strong acids such as concentrated sulfuric
acid and ammonia. Most of the wastes are
dumped in large dump tailings “lakes.” Each motor in a Toyota Prius contains a
kilogram of neodymium and each battery more than 10 kilograms of lanthanum
produced in China, according to British journalist Lindsey Hilsum. Wastewater
may contain radioactive materials. Air emissions include fluorine and sulfur.
According to a Bloomberg report, the rare earth metals are
key to the switch to cleaner energy in batteries in hybrid cars to the magnets
in wind turbines. Mining and processing the metals causes environmental damage
that China, the largest producer, may no longer be willing to bear. This may leave the door open for a few
companies outside of China to enter the fray, perhaps in Siberia, as Russia has
the largest reserves of rare earth minerals after China.
This brings up the significant trend of new rare earth mines
in countries other than China, new mixes and alternatives to the usual
combination of rare earths in a given application, price changes, and a new
look at recycling and reclaiming rare earths that have already been used in
hard drives, smartphones, and batteries.
The above is an
extract from the BCC Research report, Top Ten Companies in Rare Earths
(AVM090A). To download the complimentary first chapter, please click on the above link.
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