Do you know China produced 97 percent
of the world’s rare earth minerals, which are used in modern high tech devices
such as power wind turbines, mobile phones, and hybrid cars. It created global
scare that the Chinese would use the precious elements as an economic gun.
China
had archived where it owned 97% of the world's rare earth elements that play a
vital role in producing high-end devices.
These rare earth elements are
a group of seventeen chemically like metallic elements and minerals in the
periodic table, including yttrium and scandium. Despite in their name, these
rare elements are not actually that rare. In fact, they're rather ample in the
Earth's crust. But, vast force and investment are required to dig out, refine
and process them.
The whole commercial worth of the entire
rare earth elements in the market is merely around $3 billion (mines to
metals). The huge worth is in the
value added segment and that’s what China chasing. China enjoys and explores
this monopoly, controlling the future of around $5 trillion in rare earth
dependent, value added materials and services.
Lanthanum
It is a tactically
vital rare earth element due to its activity in catalysts that are essential in
petroleum refining. Lanthanum “cracking-agents” boost refinery output by as
much as 10%, while dropping total refinery power consumption.
Cerium
It is
the most plentiful of the rare earth material, critical in the production of
environmental safeguard and pollution-control systems and methods, from
automobiles to refineries. Cerium is a diesel fuel stabilizer for
micro-filtration of unwanted pollutants, and promotes more entire fuel
combustion for extra energy efficiency.
Neodymium
It is a
vital component of robust permanent magnets. Cell-phones, portable CD-players, computers
and nearly all modern sound systems would not exist in their recent state
without using neodymium magnets. Neodymium-Iron-Boron stable magnets are vital
for miniaturizing a range of technologies. They maximize the power per cost
ratio, and are applicable in a large range of motors and mechanical devices.
Europium
It offers
outstanding properties of photon emission. When it absorbs electrons or
UV-radiation, Europium atom changes energy levels to produce a visible and
luminescent emission. This emission creates the ideal red-phosphors used in
color TVs and computer display screens. It is also applicable in
fluorescent-lighting, it cuts energy use by 75% compared to
incandescent-lighting. In the medical sector, europium is used to tag
biochemical agents, which helps to trace these materials in tissue research.
Praseodymium
It is applicable
as a general coloring pigment. Praseodymium is used to filter definite
wavelengths of light. Thus it finds specific uses in photographic filters like
airport signal lenses, welder’s filter glasses, in ceramic tile and glass (yellow).
Praseodymium alloy used as a component of permanent magnetic systems engineered
for small motors.
Yttrium
It is
rare in bastnasite. It is typically recovered from even more obscure ores. Almost every vehicle on the road
contains yttriumbased elements that advance the fuel efficiency of the engine
system. In microwave communication devices Yttrium-Iron-Garnets are applied as
resonators in frequency-meters, magnetic-field measurement instruments, tunable-transistors
and Gunn-oscillators.
Samarium
It has
properties of spectral absorption which make it fuctional in filter- glasses
that surround neodymium laser rods.
Gadolinium
It offers
distinctive magnetic property. So the element is at the centre of magneto optic
recording, other technology application in producing computer data.
Dysprosium
It is a broadly
used element that helps to produce electronic components smaller and smarter.
Terbium
It is
applied in energy efficient fluorescent-lamps. There are range of terbium metal
alloys which provide metallic stripes for magneto-optic data records.
Holmium
It is extremely
rare and expensive element. so it has very few commercial uses.
Erbium
It has significant
optical properties that make it critical for use in broad-range fiber-optic
data transmission.
Thulium
It is
the rarest of the elements. Chemically is similar to Yttrium. It has unique
photographic properties, used in especially sensitive X-Ray phosphors to reduce
X-ray exposure.
Ytterbium
It is
applicable in stress-gauges to monitor ground deformations caused, like by
earthquakes or underground-explosions.
Lutetium
Cerium-doped lutetium-oxyorthosilicate is
recently applicable in sensitive detectors in positron-emission-tomography.
