Recently, a large deposit of rare earth metals was discovered in Sweden. This caused a commotion because there had never been rare earth mining in Europe and they were very dependent on China.
This rare earth metal is a crucial element of electronic goods to green technology, so it is coveted by many countries. Here are a few facts that we quoted from Brunal:
Rare earths are not very rare
Despite their name, rare earth metals are not particularly rare. Cerium, the most abundant rare earth metal, is actually the 25th most abundant element in the world, as abundant as copper. Followed by lanthanum and neodymium, all three of which are more abundant than lead.
The term 'rare earth' was coined in 1788 when miners in Sweden found an unusual black stone. 'Rare' because it had never been seen before and 'earth' was an 18th century geological term for acid-soluble rock. Although relatively abundant in the Earth's crust, rare earths are widely distributed around the world, making it difficult to find many in one place.
Rare earths are great magnets
In 2021, permanent magnets account for the largest share of global rare earth consumption. Why? Neodymium rare earth magnets are the strongest permanent magnets, enabling gadgets to be smaller, cheaper and lighter while maintaining optimal tensile strength.
Superior magnetic qualities enable increased efficiency of various technologies, such as hybrid and electric vehicles, mobile phones, televisions, computers, wind turbines, loudspeakers, aircraft controls, robots and factory automation equipment. Have you ever thought about how manufacturers can continue to reduce the size of cellphones? You can thank the superior quality of rare earth magnets for that.
Rare earths helped create color TV
For many years, the rare earth elements yttrium and europium were used as phosphors to help us see red on tube televisions.
Gadolinium and terbium compounds are used to make yellow-green phosphorus. Mixing these rare earth elements in very small amounts into a compound serves to bring out the colors on the screen, giving television a color quality that is pleasing to the eye.
Rare earths fight evil
Perhaps one of the most unique uses of rare earths is in crime-fighting technology such as anti-counterfeiting. The rare earth compounds, namely dysprosium, europium and terbium, fluoresce under ultraviolet light, making them very useful in the anti-counterfeiting industry.
When small amounts of these specific rare earth metals are mixed into genuine products, it is easy to identify counterfeit products when irradiated under ultraviolet light.
A green future hinges on rare earths
The rare earth elements are also known as 'green elements' because of their important role in making green energy products. Driven by the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, demand for rare earths will remain strong in the future as they are used to make a variety of environmentally friendly products.
Call it wind turbines, catalytic converters and hybrid cars to rechargeable batteries, energy efficient light bulbs and solar panels. One of the world's largest uses of rare earth metals is in electric bicycles.