Source: TH
Subject: Economics
Context: Rare-earth elements are drawing global attention as essential inputs for green technologies, electronics, and defence systems, amid supply-chain vulnerabilities.
About Rare-earth elements (REEs):
What they are?
- Rare-earth elements are a group of 17 metallic elements comprising the 15 lanthanides (lanthanum to lutetium) plus scandium and yttrium, known for their unique magnetic, optical, and electronic properties.
Key characteristics:
- Physical features:
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- Mostly silvery, soft metals with high density
- High melting points and good thermal stability
- Often used in oxide form due to reactivity
- Chemical features:
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- Predominantly exhibit a +3 oxidation state
- Possess 4f electrons that are highly localised, giving rise to:
- Strong magnetism (high magnetic moments)
- Sharp, stable optical emissions (phosphors, lasers)
- Chemically very similar to each other, making separation complex and energy-intensive.
Distribution in the world:
- REEs are not evenly distributed and occur in minerals like bastnäsite, monazite, and ion-adsorption clays.
- Major global reserves (approximate):
- China: ~44 million tonnes (dominant in refining)
- Brazil: ~21 million tonnes
- India: ~6.9 million tonnes
- Australia: ~5.7 million tonnes
- Russia, Vietnam, USA, Greenland – smaller but strategic reserves
- China controls ~90%+ of global refining and magnet production, making midstream processing the real strategic bottleneck.
