The rare earth elements (REE) correspond to a group of seventeen chemical elements that are located together in the periodic table, that group of elements consists of yttrium and the 15 lanthanide elements (lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium and lutetium).
The element scandium is found in most rare earth deposits and is sometimes counted as another rare earth element Thus, the International Association of Pure and Applied Chemistry does include escandan in this group.
The rare earth elements are characterized by belonging to the group of metals (they are metals) and for this reason they are also known as rare earth metals.
These metals have many similar properties, which is why they are often found together in geological mineral deposits.
This group of elements or metals are also known as “rare earth oxides” because many of them are marketed as oxide compounds.
Importance and uses
- It is key to understand that the need to use and search rare earths in the world it grows because they are of vital importance as technological components, that is to say that the more technology advances, the more rare earth elements or metals will be needed.
- Rare earth metals and alloys are used in many technological devices that people use every day, such as computer memory, laptops, DVDs, batteries and rechargeable batteries, cell phones, catalytic converters, magnets, fluorescent lighting, and much more.
- Several types of rechargeable batteries are forged from rare earth compounds.
- Demand for batteries is fueled by increased demand for portable electronic devices such as cell phones, laptop computers, and cameras.
- A large percentage of rare earths are applied in the manufacture of batteries that make up electric cars and even hybrid cars.
- As the use of these electric cars to reduce environmental pollution becomes more popular, the demand and supply of these cars is boosted and therefore the demand for rare earths increases.
- In addition, rare earths are used as catalysts, phosphors and polishing compounds in devices used to reduce air pollution, in the screens of electronic devices (cell phones, laptops, TVs) and for polishing glass on a millimeter scale to manufacture magnifying glasses.
- It is important to know that rare earth magnets are used in wind turbines. Even some turbines require at least two tons of rare earth magnets to make. These magnets are very strong and make the turbines highly efficient.
- Also, rare earth magnets are used and applied in turbines and generators that make wind power more efficient.
| Uses of rare earths | Volume |
|---|---|
| Chemical catalysts | 55% |
| Ceramics and glass manufacturing | fifteen% |
| Metallurgy and Alloys | 10% |
| glass polishing | 5% |
| Other | fifteen% |
Geological application
Rare earth oxides: used as tracers to determine which parts of a basin are eroding.
Military and war uses
Rare earths are very important in the role of a country’s military defense.
Basically some military instruments like night vision goggles, precision weapons, radios or communication equipment, GPS, batteries and some electronic devices contain rare earths.
In other words, the country that considers these materials has a great military advantage over those that do not.
Additionally, rare earth metals are key ingredients for making very strong alloys used in armored vehicles and impact shells.
| rare earth | military application |
|---|---|
| Lanthanum | night vision goggles |
| neodymium | laser range finders, guidance systems, communications |
| europium | fluorescent and phosphors in lamps and monitors |
| erbium | fiber optic data transmission amplifiers |
| Samarium | permanent magnets that are stable at high temperatures |
| Samarium | precision guided weapons |
| Samarium | Production of “white noise” in stealth technology |
Mineral deposits or deposits associated with rare earths
These mineral deposits tend to accumulate rare earth metals due to their origin and formation, in order of importance they are:
- Iron and REE deposits
- carbonatites
- lateritic deposits
- placer type deposits
- Rare earths in peralkaline igneous rocks
- epithermal veins
Are these elements really rare?
In reality, rare earths are not rare elements in nature, in fact, for example, thulium and lutetium, which are the least abundant rare earth metals, even represent an abundance 200 times greater than gold in the earth’s crust., and gold if it is a relatively rare metal.
But the name rare earths rather indicates that they seldom occur in sufficient quantities in deposits that can be mined and are economically profitable.
This means that these metals are very difficult to extract because it is unusual to find them in concentrations high enough for economic extraction.
From another perspective we can mention that the most abundant rare earth elements are cerium, yttrium, lanthanum and neodymium.
These are characterized because they have an abundance in the crust similar to chromium, nickel, zinc, molybdenum, tin, tungsten and lead, however, despite being the most abundant of the rare earth metals, they rarely appear in economically stable concentrations. exploitable.
Future and prospects for rare earths
It is indisputable that technology is advancing with giant steps and impressive speed, and therefore this is excellent news for the demand for rare earths.
For example, the global demand for electric cars, electronic devices (cell phones), energy-efficient lighting, and catalysts is expected to increase very rapidly over the next decade.
In addition, the demand for rare earth magnets is expected to increase, as is the demand for rechargeable batteries.
It is also important that new developments in medical technology apply and increase the use of surgical lasers, MRI and positron emission tomography scintillation detectors, this will increase the demand for rare earths.
Finally, rare earth elements are important in a number of industries, so demand for them should remain high.
History
Rare earth elements (REEs) were originally produced in trace amounts from small deposits in granitic pegmatite, the geologic setting in which they were first discovered.
During the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, rare earth elements (REEs) came primarily from placer deposits, particularly those in the southeastern United States.
With the exception of the most abundant lanthanide elements (cerium, lanthanum, and neodymium), individual rare earth elements (REEs) were not commercially available until the 1940s.
Between 1965 and 1985, most of the world’s rare earth elements (REEs) came from Mountain Pass, California.
However, heavy mineral sands from placers in many parts of the world were also sources of rare earth element (REE) mineral by-products, and Australia was a major producer of such sources until the early 1990s.
Until recently, Russia was also a major producer.
During the 1980s, China emerged as a major producer of rare earth element (REE) raw materials, while Australian and American market shares declined dramatically.
Since 1998, more than 80% of the world’s rare earth elements (REE) raw materials have come from China, with most of this production coming from the Bayan Obo deposit in Inner Mongolia.