- 3264 - RARE EARTHS - and what you should know? “Rare Earths” and what you should know about them? We are not talking planets here; we are talking dirt. Rare Earths are all around us, in our technology and even in our dirt. They are becoming a precious metal that you should know about. They could have more impact on the world’s politics than oil.
--------------------- 3264 - RARE EARTHS - and what you should know?
- The Rare Earth elements are actually metals. And, they are not rare. They are all around us in the technology we use every day. In smart phones, hybrid cars, power tool batteries, wine bottles, the list is a long one.
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- There are 17 of these metals in the Periodic Table. They are grouped together because they have similar properties. There unique properties include magnetism, index of refraction ( i.e. color ), hardness, high melting point, etc.
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- The Rare Earth metals are not rare in the environment either. If you took a handful of dirt from your back yard it would likely contain a few parts per million of these elements. The problem is they are scattered every where.
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- It is hard to find a concentration that can be mined economically. There is only one mine in the U.S. and that is the Mountain Pass Mine in southern California. It closed down in 2002 due to environmental regulations and China’s lower prices. “Thulium” is the rarest Rare Earth metal and it is 200 times more abundant than gold.
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- Here is the list including two that are outside the Rare Earths but are very similar :
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--------------- Scandium (21)
--------------- Yttrium (39)
--------------- Lanthanum (57)
--------------- Cerium (58)
--------------- Praseodymium (59)
--------------- Neodymium (60)
--------------- Promethium (61)
--------------- Samarium (62)
--------------- Europium (63)
--------------- Gadolinium (64)
--------------- Terbium (65)
--------------- Dysprosium (66)
--------------- Holmium (67)
--------------- Erbium (68)
--------------- Thulium (69)
--------------- Ytterbium (70)
--------------- Lutetium (71)
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- The Periodic Table has over 100 elements. The number in the prentices is the number of protons in the atom’s nucleus which is the same as the number of electrons orbiting the nucleus of a neutral atom. The outer electrons of each element give it its chemical properties. The Rare Earth elements are similar and almost always appear together in geological formations.
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- In the 1980’s the U.S. was producing about 2/3 rds of the world’s Rare Earth metals, 20,000 tons per year out of 30,000 tons per year. Since the year 2000 China has taken over the world’s supply and now produces 97% of world consumption.
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- China’s monopoly on the world supply is bringing real concerns. The U.S. Mountain Pass Mine is due to reopen in 2011 to support U.S. consumption of 18,000 tons per year. In 2015 the world industries are forecast to consume a total of 185,000 tons per year of Rare Earth metals.
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- In 2010 China cut of shipments of Rare Earth metals to Japan because they were having a diplomatic dispute at the time. Limited supplies have sent prices soaring. Dysprosium used in computer hard drives sold for $6.77 per pound 8 years ago. Today it sells for $222 per pound. Last summer the price of Cerium jumped 450% in 3 months.
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- The reason China got the monopoly is they had government support, cheap labor, and nonexistent environmental regulations. People do not understand how totally corrupt the Chinese system is. Violent criminal gangs run dozens of heavily polluted but highly profitable Rare Earth mines in southern China.
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- In 2008 these criminals smuggled 20,000 tons of metals out of China. That was nearly 1/3 of China’s exports. Your smart phone probably contains contraband Rare Earths from southern China.
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- Mountain Pass Mine is an open-pit mine in the Clark Mountain Range in southern California. It closed in 2002 and was mining deposits of Precambrian Carbonates that contained 8.7% average rare earth oxides.
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- The mine was first discovered in 1949 by a Uranium prospector. Molybdenum Corporation bought the mine in 1952. It became Molycorp in 1974. Bought by Union Oil in 1977. Been Chevron Corporation since 2005. Molycorp went public in 2010, ticker “ MCP” on the stock exchange to get the investment money needed to reopen the mine in 2011.
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--------------- Lanthanum (57) --- Is the first of the lanthanide series of metals discovered in 1839. Its atomic structure makes it especially reactive, oxidizing rapidly when exposed to air. It is used in the cores of bright carbon-arc lights for the motion picture industry. With Cerium it is uses as a catalyst in refining oil to gasoline.
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- The two are also used in catalytic converters in exhaust systems. You may have read about some thieves stealing catalytic converters from trucks. These metals are pricey and a target for thieves. Toyota Prius Hybrid cars uses over 20 pounds of Lanthanum for their batteries.
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--------------- Cerium (58) --- Named for the asteroid, Ceres, it was first isolated as a metal in 1875. Solid Cerium is less dense than liquid Cerium, a property it shares with water. It is used with Lanthanum as mentioned in the above paragraph. It is also used in self-cleaning ovens to catalyze surface deposits. It is used in wine bottles to help protect the wine from ultraviolet light. Melts at 1,468 F.
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--------------- Praseodymium (59) --- Discovered in 1885. Its oxide is green as is a spectral line that provides part of its name. It is used with Neodymium for coloring glass in welder’s masks. The oxide is extremely resistant to melting and is used in carbon arc lights. The metal melts at 1,708 F
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--------------- Neodymium (60) --- Discovered in 1885. Used in coloring special glasses for technical applications. Used in lighter flints. The Toyota Prius Hybrid cars use Neodymium magnets in their electric motors. Wind turbines use 500 hundred pounds of neodymium in their electric generators. Melts at 1,870 F
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--------------- Promethium (61) --- This is a radioactive Rare Earth metal. It was first synthesized in 1945. To make the link to astronomy this element has been detected spectroscopic ally in the star, Arcturus. Arcturus can be found in the night sky by following the curve of the Big Dipper handle. It is the next bright star half way across the sky. Promethium melts at 1,908 F
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--------------- Samarium (62) --- Discovered in 1879. Used in stable permanent magnets and in lasers. Because these magnets can withstand intense heat they are used in Predator drones and Tomahawk cruise missiles. A more peaceful use is in converting sound to electricity in magnetic pickups in electric guitars. Used in the control rods of nuclear reactors.
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--------------- Europium (63) --- Discovered in 1896. Used with Yttrium to create the color red in television tubes. Melts a 1,512 F.
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--------------- Gadolinium (64) --- Discovered in 1880. It is useful but very difficult to separate and too expensive for most commercial applications. It can be found in Magnetic Resonance Imaging, MRI‘s. Surgeons use the color change to tell healthy tissue from diseased tissue. Gadolinium, Lanthanum and Yttrium are used in night vision goggles. Melts at 2,395 F.
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--------------- Terbium (65) --- Discovered in 1843. Used in lasers and other solid-state devices. Compact fluorescent light bulbs use Terbium and Yttrium. Melts at 2,473 F.
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--------------- Dysprosium (66) --- Discovered in 1886. This metal is soft enough to cut with a knife. Used in lasers and in cooling radioactive fission fuel rods. Neodymium and Dysprosium magnets are used in power tools to shrink their electric motors. It is used in computer hard drives.
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--------------- Holmium (67) --- Discovered in 1879 Too expensive for most applications. Melts at 2,685 F.
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--------------- Erbium (68) --- Discovered in 1842. Isolated as a pure metal in 1934. Used in the production of pink glass and in optical fibers. Erbium, Praseodymium, and Neodymium are used to tint sunglasses. Melts at 2,784 F.
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--------------- Thulium (69) --- Discovered in 1879. This Lanthanide metal is the rarest and least abundant Rare Earth metal. Melts at 2,813 F.
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--------------- Ytterbium (70) --- Discovered in 1907. First isolated as a metal in 1953. Melts at 1,506 F.
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--------------- Lutetium (71) --- Discovered in 1907. Used as a chemical catalyst. Used in PET scanners. Melts at 3,025 F.
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- Rare Earth metals are all around us but they are totally hidden unless you are reading this review.
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- The U.S. foreign policy would like to see Rare Earth independence restored and California is the likely supplier. Announcement to be made shortly, stay tuned.
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- September 3, 2021 RARE EARTHS - you should know? 1266 3264
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--------------------- --- Friday, September 3, 2021 ---------------------------
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