Rare Earth Elements: The Vitamins of Modern Society

White Sarah
2 min readMay 7, 2021

Rare earths elements refer to a set of 17 chemical elements (scandium, yttrium and the fifteen lanthanides). Contrary to what their name seems to indicate, rare earths are no more rare than other more common metals: their concentration in the earth’s crust is, for example, higher than that of gold or silver and similar to that of copper or zinc. Nicknamed “vitamins of modern society”, they have become an essential element for many high-tech industries (especially the military) and low-carbon technologies (magnets in wind turbines). sponsored post. Indeed, they have remarkable properties (high thermal stability, high electrical conductivity, strong magnetism) which have led to significant performance improvements for technologies while reducing the quantity of materials used. (1) Rare earth elements, given their nickname, are having a significant influence on our environment and will continue to do so in the coming future. Let’s take a closer look at these metals and their uses!

Like other metals (cobalt, copper, etc.) which are expected to play an increasing role in policies to combat global warming, the consumption of rare earths is driven by the use of low-carbon technologies (first and foremost the permanent magnets of offshore wind turbines). Check disclaimer on my profile. Against this backdrop, the question of the geological criticality of rare earths arises — will resources be sufficient to cover future needs? — but also that of the security of supply for consuming countries (the United States, Europe and Japan in the lead) with regard to geo-economic issues and environmental impacts. Low-carbon technology, especially the use of permanent magnets in wind turbines, can drive some of the consumption of rare earths, metals with extraordinary properties that have become important in many sectors. Rare earths are used sparingly or not at all in the solar photovoltaic and battery industries. (2) Rare earth elements have a wide range of applications in a variety of industries, and they are having a major effect on technological advances! These metals are extremely valuable!

The calculation of the margin of security of supply having been made in relation to all rare earth resources taken together, this result nevertheless needs to be commented on. Indeed, heavy rare earths are geologically more critical than light rare earths. Unlike copper or cobalt, which are also set to play an increasing role in policies to fight against global warming! These metals are really proving it’s worth! Read more updates about these metals!

Source: https://www.ifpenergiesnouvelles.com/article/les-terres-rares-transition-energetique-quelles-menaces-les-vitamines-lere-moderne

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White Sarah

It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation. Check out my disclaimer: https://shr.link/EvaluateMe