Rare Earth Minerals: The Indispensable Resource for Advanced Technologies
Rare Earths are a group of 17 elements whose unique metallurgic, magnetic, and luminescent properties make them indispensable in a wide variety of advanced technologies, including clean energy technologies, like wind turbines, hybrid and electric vehicles, and compact fluorescent lightbulbs; military communications and weapons systems; and high-tech consumer electronics. Many other sectors rely on rare earths, including automotive, health care, communications, energy and others.
One Rare Earth element in particular – neodymium (Nd) – is used to create very high powered but lightweight magnets that enable miniaturization of a long list of advanced technologies and provide critical functionality. The rare earth phosphors like europium, terbium, and yttrium are essential in visual displays and communications equipment.