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Rare earth constituent have a turn of utilitarian properties that make them extremely sought after by the tech and energy industries . This appeal of 17 metals include the 15 metallic elements found at the bottom of theperiodic table , as well as the component atomic number 39 and scandium .
The most valuable of these are neodymium , praseodymium , terbium and dysprosium , which act as superstrong miniaturise magnets , a vital component of electronics , including smartphones , electric automobile batteries and malarky turbines . However , their limited worldwide supply is a freehanded worry for governments and corporation that require these metals to continue invent all sort of modernistic essentials .
Why is it so challenging to mine rare earth elements like neodymium (pictured here)?
But why are the rare earth factor so rare ?
It turns out , they ’re not really that rarefied . A U.S. Geological Survey bailiwick on the " crystal abundance " of unlike elements — meaning how much is available if you average out out Earth ’s crust — found that most of the rare earth " are in the same order of order of magnitude as common alloy like fuzz and zinc,“Aaron Noble , a prof and capitulum of the Mining and Mineral Engineering Department at Virginia Tech , recite Live Science . " They ’re sure as shooting not as rarified as alloy like ash gray , goldand Pt . "
touch on : Which is rarefied : Gold or diamonds ?
Why is it so challenging to mine rare earth elements like neodymium (pictured here)?
Although the element are fairly vulgar , they ’re very difficult to pull out from their natural sources .
" The ' troublesome earths ' would have been a better name,“Paul Ziemkiewicz , director of the West Virginia Water Research Institute , recount Live Science . " The problem is , they ’re just not that reduce in one place . There are around 300 milligrams per kilogram [ 0.005 ounces per pound ] of rare earth across all shale in the United States . That ’s about what you ’d get if you poke a hole in your backyard . "
Typically , metals concentrate within Earth ’s cheekiness due to different geological processes , such as lava flow , hydrothermal activeness and mountain formation . However , the strange chemistry of the rare earth elements mean that these metals do n’t by and large collect together under these extraordinary condition . accordingly , traces of these elements are broadcast across the planet , make mining for these materials peculiarly inefficient .
The locations and relative abundances of minable rare earth elements around the world. Data from USGS in 2020.
Occasionally , highly acidulent conditions underground can slimly increase the amount of rare earth elements present in sure areas . But find these elusive enriched website is only the first challenge .
In nature , metals exist as compounds called ores , which contain metal particles linked to other nonmetal substances ( forebode counterions ) by strong ionic soldering . To incur the utter metal , these bonds must be ruin and the counterions must be removed — but the trouble of this separation depends on the metal and the counterion in question .
Ores can be for all form of alloy , not just rare world elements . For instance , atomic number 29 and iron can also spring ore .
" pig ore usually occurs as a sulfide . You stir up the ore up to the point where it drives off the sulphide as a gas and the sodding cop fell out the bottom of your response vessel . That ’s quite an easy extraction , " Ziemkiewicz explain . " Others , like iron oxide , postulate an additive to make them release the alloy . But rare earths are much more complicated to separate . "
The rare ground metallic element naturally have three overconfident charges and work incredibly secure ionic Bond with phosphate counterions , each have three electronegative mission . The extraction process must therefore get over the very strong attraction between the positive metal and the disconfirming phosphate — no small task .
" It ’s a very prospicient and complicated provision chain to the pure alloy , " Noble say . " The rare earth ore are very chemically stable mineral — you have to put a slew of energy and chemical vividness into them to break them down . Oftentimes , that process uses a very lowly pH , very fast-growing condition and very high temperatures , because those bail bond holding the ore together are so strong . "
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It ’s this difficulty of extracting the utter element that give the rarefied earthly concern elements their name . Some investigator are working on raw methods to reuse and distil these worthful metals from old electronics and industrial waste to reduce the pressure on current supplies ; others are trying to procreate the unusual magnetic and electronic holding in new compounds to provide an choice to these elusive alloy and which could shepherd in more accessible and man - made compounds that deport like rare earth elements .
For the time being , though , there ’s no substitute for the troublesome rarified land , even as demand skyrockets .
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