A topic most people once considered as boring as dirt–rare earth minerals–has fast become a matter of international significance with a direct impact on green technologies and consumer electronics.
Rare earth metals are a group of elements that are used in a wide range of products we use every day, including hard drives and hybrid cars. Their properties, notably as light-weight magnets, make them key to the ongoing miniaturization of electronics and the growth of green technologies.
Rare earth minerals have become a hot-topic issue for industrialists and politicians for one simple reason: supply.
(Credit: U.N. Environment Program)China recognized the importance of these elements decades ago and now supplies almost all the rare earth materials in the world. Companies and countries outside of China are becoming increasingly concerned that this lock on supply could handicap burgeoning green industries, such as wind power and electric vehicles.
In recent weeks, China unofficially created an embargo on the export of rare earth metals, which was lifted last week, perhaps because of international pressure, according to reports in The New York Times. A diplomatic dispute between Japan and China over territory led China in September to temporarily suspend shipments of rare earth elements to Japan, a move that caught the world’s attention.
To explain the role of rare earth elements in tech and green tech–and the importance of minerals, in general–we offer this FAQ.
What are these elements and what are they used for?
Rare earth minerals are a group of 17 elements with properties that make them attractive for certain uses in everything from iPhones to military aircraft. When combined with other common metals, they bring very valuable qualities, such as amplifying light in fiber optic cables or bringing color to TV screens.