How are rare earth elements used in technology?

Rare earths are used in rechargeable batteries for electric and hybrid cars, advanced ceramics, computers, DVD players, wind turbines, catalysts in cars and oil refineries, monitors, televisions, lighting, lasers, fiber optics, superconductors and glass polishing.

Why are rare earth elements so useful for modern technology?

The rare earths are 17 metallic elements, located in the middle of the periodic table (atomic numbers 21, 39, and 57–71). These metals have unusual fluorescent, conductive, and magnetic properties—which make them very useful when alloyed, or mixed, in small quantities with more common metals such as iron.

What rare earth elements are used in electronics?

Some of the rare-earth metals (and their atomic weights) that are commonly used in electronics include lanthanum (57), cerium (58), neodymium (60), samarium (62), europium (63), terbium (65), and dysprosium (66).

What are the critical rare earth minerals?

9 The rare earth elements consist of the lanthanide series (lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, and lutetium) as well as scandium and yttrium.

What metals are needed for technology?

These high-tech devices range from consumer electronics and medical devices to advanced defense systems. Some of the more commonly agreed technology metals are cobalt, lithium, tantalum, indium, gallium, niobium, selenium and zirconium.

What products use REEs?

REEs are used as components in high technology devices, including smart phones, digital cameras, computer hard disks, fluorescent and light-emitting-diode (LED) lights, flat screen televisions, computer monitors, and electronic displays. Large quantities of some REEs are used in clean energy and defense technologies.

What are the advantages of rare earth elements?

Rare earth elements (REEs) are crucial for production of clean energy, electric vehicles, consumer electronics, national defense and more. China controls more than 80% of global production and supply, putting supply chains and national security at risk.

Why are rare earth metals used in smartphones?

The only one you will not find is promethium, which is radioactive. Many of the vivid red, blue, and green colors you see on your screen are due to rare-earth metals, which are also used in the smartphone’s circuitry and in the speakers. Also, your phone would not be able to vibrate without neodymium and dysprosium.

What minerals are used in technology?

Green technologies such as electric vehicles and wind turbines require metals for wiring, batteries and components including copper, lithium, cobalt, manganese, nickel and graphite. Solar panels will also call for metals such as tellurium and silicon for the solar cells that turn sunlight into electricity.

What minerals are necessary for cell phones?

Which minerals are in your mobile?

  • Copper. Copper in its raw nugget form.
  • Tellurium. A small disc of metallic tellurium.
  • Lithium. Lithium ingots with black nitride tarnish.
  • Cobalt. Elemental cobalt.
  • Manganese. Manganese in various forms.
  • Tungsten.

Which metal is the most critical in the development of almost all clean energy technologies?

Rare earth elements are essential for permanent magnets that are vital for wind turbines and EV motors. Electricity networks need a huge amount of copper and aluminium, with copper being a cornerstone for all electricity-related technologies.

What metals will be in high demand in the future?

Assuming the recent trend in intensity of use is maintained during our forecast period, nickel will see the fastest growth, with demand growing by 123 per cent from 2020 to 2035. Aluminium and steel will also see significant growth of 57 per cent and 50 per cent respectively, with copper increasing by 26 per cent.

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