THE USE OF REE

How are the rare-earth elements utilized?

Rare earth elements (REEs) possess exceptional electronic, optic, catalytic, and magnetic characteristics, making them valuable for addressing various technological challenges. Consequently, they find applications in a diverse array of fields. While there is no standardized categorization for rare earth applications, the REE markets are typically segmented into nine sectors: catalysts, polishing, glass, phosphors and pigments, metallurgy, batteries, magnets, ceramics, and other applications.

Various rare earth elements (REEs) are employed either individually or in combination to create phosphors, which are substances that emit light, for a wide range of ray tubes and flat panel displays. These displays can be found in devices such as smartphones and large stadium scoreboards.

Additionally, certain REEs are utilized in fluorescent and LED lighting. Yttrium, europium, and terbium phosphors, for instance, are used to produce red, green, and blue light in light bulbs, panels, and televisions. The glass industry is the primary consumer of REE raw materials as they are used for glass polishing and as additives that confer distinct optical properties and colors.

Lanthanum is a key component in the composition of digital camera lenses, including those found in cell phone cameras, making up to half of their total content. Lanthanum-based catalysts are employed in the purification process of petroleum. On the other hand, automotive catalytic converters utilize catalysts that are primarily cerium-based.

Magnets that utilize rare earth elements (REEs) have seen a rapid increase in their applications. Neodymium-iron-boron magnets, which are the strongest known magnets, are particularly useful in situations where space and weight are limited. For example, large wind turbines use generators that incorporate powerful permanent magnets made of neodymium-iron-boron. Rare-earth magnets are also found in computer hard drives, CD-ROMs, and DVD drives. The use of a rare-earth magnet in the spindle of a disk drive ensures that it maintains a stable spinning motion. Additionally, these magnets are employed in various conventional automotive components like power steering systems, electric windows, power seats, and audio speakers.

Lanthanum-based alloys are used as anodes in nickel-metal hydride batteries. These batteries, found in hybrid electric cars, contain a significant amount of lanthanum, with each electric vehicle requiring approximately 10 to 15 kilograms of it. Rare earth magnets, consisting of cerium, lanthanum, neodymium, and praseodymium, are used in some large turbines, with two tons of these magnets needed. In steelmaking, cerium mischmetal, a mixed oxide containing approximately 55% cerium, 25% lanthanum, and 15-18% neodymium, along with other rare earth metals, is utilized to eliminate impurities and produce special alloys.

Rare earth elements have become deeply ingrained in modern technology and industry over a few decades, and finding alternatives or duplicates for them has proven to be extremely difficult.