Nearly every “green tech” devise requires some REE. Mountain Pass, CA, which was a top US mine, won’t reopen its mining until 2016 and just got $3 million in stimulus money to help it start the process of reopening (Goldman Sachs is an investor). Congress, and the states, are artificially driving up the demand by setting up alt energy quotas.

On the plus side, new refining technology was just announced that found some REEs can be recovered from TiO2 purifying.

“In 2008, rare earths were not mined in the United States; however, rare-earth concentrates previously produced at Mountain Pass, CA, were processed into lanthanum concentrate and didymium (75% neodymium, 25% praseodymium) products. Rare-earth concentrates, intermediate compounds, and individual oxides were available from stocks. The United States continued to be a major consumer, exporter, and importer of rare-earth products in 2008. The estimated value of refined rare earths imported by the United States was more than $127 million. Based on final 2007 reported data, the estimated 2007 distribution of rare earths by end use, in decreasing order, was as follows: glass polishing and ceramics, 34%; automotive catalytic converters, 30%; rare-earth phosphors for computer monitors, lighting, radar, televisions, and x-ray-intensifying film, 14%; chemicals and petroleum refining catalysts, 11%; ceramics, 3%; pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical equipment, 3%; permanent magnets, 2%; metallurgical applications and alloys, 1%; laser and scintillator crystals, 1%; and other, 1%.” Domestic consumption for rare earths in 2008 increased slightly, based on apparent consumption (derived from 9 months of trade data), although rare-earth imports and exports were estimated to be lower than in 2007. Prices were higher in 2008 than in 2007 for most rare-earth products amid increased consumption and a stable supply. Consumption increased for cerium compounds used in automotive catalytic converters and in glass additives and glass polishing compounds; rare-earth compounds used in automotive catalytic converters and many other applications; yttrium compounds used in color televisions and flat-panel displays, electronic thermometers, fiber optics, lasers, and oxygen sensors; and phosphors for color televisions, electronic thermometers, fluorescent lighting, pigments, superconductors, x-ray-intensifying screens, and other applications. Consumption was also higher for mixed rare-earth compounds and for rare-earth metals and their alloys used in armaments, base-metal alloys, lighter flints, permanent magnets, pyrophoric alloys, and superalloys. U.S. consumption, however, was substantially lower for rare-earth chlorides used in the production of fluid cracking catalysts used in oil refining. The trend is for a continued increase in the use of rare earths in many applications, especially automotive catalytic converters, permanent magnets, and rechargeable batteries for electric and hybrid vehicles.” – USGS

Nearly every “green tech” devise requires some REE. Mountain Pass, CA, which was a top US mine, won’t reopen its mining until 2016 and just got $3 million in stimulus money to help it start the process of reopening (Goldman Sachs is an investor). Congress, and the states, are artificially driving up the demand by setting up alt energy quotas.

On the plus side, new refining technology was just announced that found some REEs can be recovered from TiO2 purifying.

“In 2008, rare earths were not mined in the United States; however, rare-earth concentrates previously produced at Mountain Pass, CA, were processed into lanthanum concentrate and didymium (75% neodymium, 25% praseodymium) products. Rare-earth concentrates, intermediate compounds, and individual oxides were available from stocks. The United States continued to be a major consumer, exporter, and importer of rare-earth products in 2008. The estimated value of refined rare earths imported by the United States was more than $127 million. Based on final 2007 reported data, the estimated 2007 distribution of rare earths by end use, in decreasing order, was as follows: glass polishing and ceramics, 34%; automotive catalytic converters, 30%; rare-earth phosphors for computer monitors, lighting, radar, televisions, and x-ray-intensifying film, 14%; chemicals and petroleum refining catalysts, 11%; ceramics, 3%; pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical equipment, 3%; permanent magnets, 2%; metallurgical applications and alloys, 1%; laser and scintillator crystals, 1%; and other, 1%.” Domestic consumption for rare earths in 2008 increased slightly, based on apparent consumption (derived from 9 months of trade data), although rare-earth imports and exports were estimated to be lower than in 2007. Prices were higher in 2008 than in 2007 for most rare-earth products amid increased consumption and a stable supply. Consumption increased for cerium compounds used in automotive catalytic converters and in glass additives and glass polishing compounds; rare-earth compounds used in automotive catalytic converters and many other applications; yttrium compounds used in color televisions and flat-panel displays, electronic thermometers, fiber optics, lasers, and oxygen sensors; and phosphors for color televisions, electronic thermometers, fluorescent lighting, pigments, superconductors, x-ray-intensifying screens, and other applications. Consumption was also higher for mixed rare-earth compounds and for rare-earth metals and their alloys used in armaments, base-metal alloys, lighter flints, permanent magnets, pyrophoric alloys, and superalloys. U.S. consumption, however, was substantially lower for rare-earth chlorides used in the production of fluid cracking catalysts used in oil refining. The trend is for a continued increase in the use of rare earths in many applications, especially automotive catalytic converters, permanent magnets, and rechargeable batteries for electric and hybrid vehicles.” – USGS

The people that speculate on oil and gas will need something new to speculate on since this is their shiny new toy, rare earth metals.

So if they do not stir the FUD – how will they drive up the price of these raw materials.

The USA was the #1 producer of these materials, and the existing mines are slated to come back online very soon…

The people that speculate on oil and gas will need something new to speculate on since this is their shiny new toy, rare earth metals.

So if they do not stir the FUD – how will they drive up the price of these raw materials.

The USA was the #1 producer of these materials, and the existing mines are slated to come back online very soon…

denotes its origin not its scarcity

these eliment are among the most common chemicals and minerals around. buy a dictionary

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Rare earth ore

As defined by IUPAC, rare earth elements or rare earth metals are a collection of seventeen chemical elements in the periodic table, namely scandium, yttrium, and the fifteen lanthanoids.[1] Scandium and yttrium are considered rare earths since they tend to occur in the same ore deposits as the lanthanoids and exhibit similar chemical properties.

The term “rare earth” arises from the minerals from which they were first isolated, which were uncommon oxide-type minerals (earths) found in Gadolinite extracted from one mine in the village of Ytterby, Sweden. However, with the exception of the highly-unstable promethium, rare earth elements are found in relatively high concentrations in the earth’s crust, with cerium being the 25th most abundant element in the earth’s crust at 68 parts per million.

Simply don’t use BLDC motors that use permanent magnets!!! AC Induction motors (As used in the Tesla Roadster) don’t use anything more exotic than steel, aluminium and copper, all of which are routinely recycled. That’s one of the main reasons why over 70% of electric motors used around the world are induction motors!!!

Simply don’t use BLDC motors that use permanent magnets!!! AC Induction motors (As used in the Tesla Roadster) don’t use anything more exotic than steel, aluminium and copper, all of which are routinely recycled. That’s one of the main reasons why over 70% of electric motors used around the world are induction motors!!!