Materials
Rare Earth Elements
Also Known As Rare Earth Metals
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The rare-earth elements are a set of seventeen chemically similar, lustrous silvery-white metals (the fifteen lanthanides plus scandium and yttrium) that despite the name are not especially rare in the Earth's crust, only rarely found concentrated enough to mine economically. Their unusual magnetic and optical properties make them essential to modern electronics and clean-energy hardware, and China's dominance of both mining and refining has made the group a recurring subject of supply-chain concern.
Facts
Primary UseCatalysts and high-strength permanent magnets, the two largest uses, alongside phosphors, rechargeable-battery electrodes and specialty glass and ceramics. 1 Cross-Tradition Connections
Associated With
Neodymium and other rare-earth elements are essential to the high-strength permanent magnets used in computer hard-disk read/write heads and in the small, powerful magnets of modern electronics generally.
In Field
Sources
1. Rare-Earth Element (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationLead sectionQuote, Lead section
The rare-earth elements (REE), also called rare-earth metals, or rare earths, are a set of 17 nearly indistinguishable lustrous silvery-white soft heavy metals.
1. Rare-Earth Element (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationUses sectionQuote, Uses section
In 2015, most REEs were being used for catalysts and magnets.
1. Rare-Earth Element (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIntroductionQuote, Introduction
The rare-earth elements (REE), also called rare-earth metals, or rare earths
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