RARE EATHS DESCRIPCION

What are rare earths? - Lynas Rare Earths (lynascorp.com)

Rare earth elements are relatively plentiful in the earth’s crust, with cerium
being the 25th most abundant element at 68 parts per million. This makes it
as abundant as copper. Because of their geochemical properties, rare earth
elements are typically dispersed. This means they are not often found in
concentrated enough clusters to make them viable to mine. It was the scarcity
of these minerals that led to them being called rare earths.

Rare Earths are a group of 15 elements in the periodic table known as the
Lanthanide series, plus Yttrium. Rare earths are categorised into light
elements (lanthanum to samarium) and heavy elements (europium to
lutetium). The latter are less common and consequently more expensive.

Chemically, rare earths are strong reducing agents. Their compounds are
generally ionic and they display high melting and boiling points. Rare earths
are relatively soft when in their metallic state while those with a higher atomic
number tend to be harder. Rare earths react with other metallic and non-
metallic elements to form compounds each of which has specific chemical
behaviours. This makes them indispensable and non-replaceable in many
electronic, optical, magnetic, and catalytic applications. Rare earth
compounds are commonly fluorescent under ultraviolet light, which can assist
in their identification. Rare earths also react with water or diluted acid to
produce hydrogen gas.
Click here for a Summary of Rare Earth Elements and their Applications

 Rare Earth Element Current Applications

Yttrium Phosphors , ceramics, metal alloys

Lanthanum Batteries, catalysts for petroleum refining

Cerium Autocatalysts, Chemical Catalyst, glass polishing, metal alloys

Praseodymium High power magnets, yellow ceramic pigment, Autocat

Neodymium High power magnets

Promethium Beta radiation source

Samarium High temperature magnets,

Europium fluorescent lighting

Gadolinium Magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent, nuclear reactor rods

Terbium Phosphors for lighting, high power high temperature magnets

Dysprosium High power high temperature magnets, lasers

Holmium Highest power magnets in existence

Erbium Lasers, glass colourant

Thulium Ceramic magnetic materials which are still under development

Ytterbium Fibre optic technology, solar panels

  Rare Earth Element Current Applications

Lutetium PET scanners

Click here for a Summary of Rare Earths Compounds and their Applications

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WHAT ARE RARE EARTHS?

Home » Products » What are rare earths?

 What are rare earths?

 How are rare earths used?
 How do rare earths impact us?
 Where are rare earths found?
 How are rare earths mined?

Rare earth elements are relatively plentiful in the earth’s crust, with cerium
being the 25th most abundant element at 68 parts per million. This makes it
as abundant as copper. Because of their geochemical properties, rare earth
elements are typically dispersed. This means they are not often found in
concentrated enough clusters to make them viable to mine. It was the scarcity
of these minerals that led to them being called rare earths.
Rare Earths are a group of 15 elements in the periodic table known as the
Lanthanide series, plus Yttrium. Rare earths are categorised into light
elements (lanthanum to samarium) and heavy elements (europium to
lutetium). The latter are less common and consequently more expensive.

Chemically, rare earths are strong reducing agents. Their compounds are
generally ionic and they display high melting and boiling points. Rare earths
are relatively soft when in their metallic state while those with a higher atomic
number tend to be harder. Rare earths react with other metallic and non-
metallic elements to form compounds each of which has specific chemical
behaviours. This makes them indispensable and non-replaceable in many
electronic, optical, magnetic, and catalytic applications. Rare earth
compounds are commonly fluorescent under ultraviolet light, which can assist
in their identification. Rare earths also react with water or diluted acid to
produce hydrogen gas.

Click here for a Summary of Rare Earth Elements and their Applications
Click here for a Summary of Rare Earths Compounds and their Applications
Rare Earths Compound  Applications

Catalysts Petroleum refining

Chemical processing

Catalytic converters
Rare Earths Compound  Applications

Diesel additives

Industrial pollution scrubbers

Glass Polishing compounds

Optical glass

UV resistant glass

X-ray imaging

Thermal control mirrors

Colourisers / deodarisers

Metal Alloys Hydrogen storage – NiMH batteries; fuel cells

Steel

Lighter flints

Aluminum / magnesium

Cast iron

Superalloys

Electronics Display phosphors – LCD, PDP, CRT

Rare Earths Compound  Applications

Medical imaging phosphors

Lasers

Fibre optics

Optical temperature sensors

Ceramics Capacitors

Sensors

Colourants

Scintillators

Magnets Motors

Disk drives and disk drive motors

Power generation

Actuators

Microphones and speakers

MRI

Anti-lock brake systems

 Rare Earths Compound  Applications

Automotive parts

Communication systems

Electric drive and propulsion

Frictionless bearings

Magnetic storage disks

Microwave power tubes

Magnetic refrigeration

Magnetostrictive alloys

Summary of Rare Earths and their key attributes

Yttrium or Y (39) – is a non-lanthanide rare earth element used to produce
superconductors, powerful pulsed lasers, cancer treatment drugs, rheumatoid
arthritis medicines, and surgical supplies. Silvery metal in colour, it is also
used in many popular consumer products such as televisions and camera
lenses.

Lanthanum or La (57) – is a silver-white metal that is one of the most reactive

rare earth elements. It is used in the manufacture of specialised optical
glasses including infrared absorbing glass as well as camera and telescope
lenses. It can also be used to help make steel more malleable. Other
applications for lanthanum include wastewater treatment and petroleum
refining.
Cerium or Ce (58) – is a silvery-white metal that easily oxidises in the air. It is
the most abundant rare earth elements and has many uses including as a
catalyst in catalytic converters in automotive exhaust systems to reduce
emissions. It is also a key component for precision glass polishing. Cerium
can also be used in iron, magnesium and aluminium alloys, magnets, certain
types of electrodes, and carbon-arc lighting.

Praseodymium or Pr (59) – this soft, silvery metal was first used to create a
yellow-orange stain for ceramics. Although it is still used to colour certain
types of glasses and gemstones, praseodymium is primarily used in rare earth
magnets. It can also be found in applications as diverse as creating high-
strength metals found in aircraft engines and flint for starting fires.

Neodymium or Nd (60) – is a soft, silvery metal, neodymium that is used with

praseodymium to create some of the strongest permanent magnets available
in the world today. These magnets are found in most modern vehicles and
aircraft as well as popular consumer electronics such as headphones,
microphones, and computer discs. Neodymium is also used to make high-
powered, infrared lasers for industrial and defence applications.

Promethium or Pm (61) – is the only naturally radioactive rare earth element.

Virtually all promethium in the earth’s crust has long ago decayed into other
elements. Today, it is largely artificially created, and used in watches,
pacemakers, and a scientific research applications.

Samarium or Sm (62) – is a silvery metal that can be used in several vital

ways including in very powerful magnets for transportation, defence, and
commercial technologies. In conjunction with other compounds, it can also be
used for intravenous radiation treatments to kill cancer cells. It is also used to
help treat lung, prostate, breast, and some forms of bone cancer. Because it is
a stable neutron absorber, samarium is also used to control the rods of
nuclear reactors.
Europium or Eu (63) – is a hard metal used to create visible light in compact
fluorescent bulbs and colour displays such as in LCD televisions. It is also
used to make the special phosphors marks on the Euro notes to help prevent
counterfeiting.

Gadolinium or Gd (64) – has particular properties that make it especially

suitable for shielding in nuclear reactors and neutron radiography. It is also
used to help target tumours in neuron therapy as well as enhance magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI). X-rays and bone density tests also use gadolinium,
making this rare earth element a major contributor to modern health care
solutions.

Terbium or Tb (65) – is a silvery rare earth metal that is so soft it can be cut
with a knife. Terbium is often used in compact fluorescent lighting, colour
displays, and as an additive to permanent rare earth magnets so they can
function better under higher temperatures. It can also be found in fuel cells
designed to operate at elevated temperatures and some electronic devices as
well as naval sonar systems. Terbium in its alloy form has the highest
magnetostriction of any such substance. Because of its magnetisation, in its
alloy form it is easy to change its shape, making it vital component of
Terfenol-D which is used in many defence and commercial technologies.

Dysprosium or Dy (66) – is a soft, silver metal with one of the highest

magnetic strengths of all of the rare earths, matched only by holmium.
Dysprosium is often added to permanent rare earth magnets to help them
operate more efficiently at higher temperatures. Lasers and commercial
lighting use dysprosium as do hard computer disks and other electronics
which require certain magnetic properties. Dysprosium can also be used in
nuclear reactors and modern, energy-efficient vehicles.

Holmium or Ho (67) – has incredible magnetic properties. In fact, some of the

strongest artificially created magnetic fields are the result of magnetic flux
concentrators made with holmium alloys. As well as providing colouring to
cubic zirconia and glass, holmium can also be used in nuclear control rods
and microwave equipment.

Erbium or Er (68) – is widely used in nuclear applications such as neutron-

absorbing control rods. It is a key component of high-performance fibre optic
communications systems. It can also be used to provide glass and other
materials a pink colour for aesthetic as well as specific industrial purposes.
Erbium is also used to help create lasers, including those for specific medical
applications.

Thulium or Tm (69) – is a silvery-grey metal and one of the least abundant

rare earths. Its isotopes are widely used as the radiation device in portable X-
rays which makes thulium a highly useful material. Thulium is also a
component of highly efficient lasers which are used in the defence, medical,
and meteorology sectors.

Ytterbium or Yb (70) – has several important uses in health care including in

certain cancer treatments. Ytterbium can also enhance stainless steel as well
as help monitor the effects of earthquakes and explosions on the ground.

Lutetium or Lu (71) – is the last of the rare earth elements (in order of their
atomic number) and has several interesting uses. For example, lutetium
isotopes can help reveal the age of ancient items such as meteorites. It also
has applications related to petroleum refining and positron emission
tomography. Experimentally, lutetium isotopes have also been used to target
certain types of tumours.

Summary of Rare Earths - Lynas Rare Earths