Rare earths: High tech, down to earth

You're depending on them right now. “Rare earth elements [are not rare](.” So goes the much-quoted adage, and while true, it doesn’t quite explain all the fuss around the group of 17 elements that are crucial in the manufacturing of high-tech products. So what gives? While abundant, rare earths are hard to find in high concentrations, and they are often exploited as byproducts of another mining process, making it difficult to [identify, explore, and develop]( viable rare earths mining projects. And then there are the complicated separation and processing stages necessary to get the high purity individual rare earth elements for use in high-tech applications powering the global economy, like batteries, motors, wind turbines, and military systems. The long supply chain requires substantial startup costs and expertise, so increasing production capacity when shortages occur isn’t exactly a nimble process. It’s also vulnerable to international politics—the global market is dominated by China, though the US, Japan, Australia, and Europe are all working toward [rare earths independence](. Ready to do some digging? 🐦 [Tweet this!]( 🌐 [View this email on the web]( Sponsored by [Quartz Weekly Obsession] Rare earths November 24, 2021 It’s elemental --------------------------------------------------------------- “Rare earth elements [are not rare](.” So goes the much-quoted adage, and while true, it doesn’t quite explain all the fuss around the group of 17 elements that are crucial in the manufacturing of high-tech products. So what gives? While abundant, rare earths are hard to find in high concentrations, and they are often exploited as byproducts of another mining process, making it difficult to [identify, explore, and develop]( viable rare earths mining projects. And then there are the complicated separation and processing stages necessary to get the high purity individual rare earth elements for use in high-tech applications powering the global economy, like batteries, motors, wind turbines, and military systems. The long supply chain requires substantial startup costs and expertise, so increasing production capacity when shortages occur isn’t exactly a nimble process. It’s also vulnerable to international politics—the global market is dominated by China, though the US, Japan, Australia, and Europe are all working toward [rare earths independence](. Ready to do some digging? 🐦 [Tweet this!]( 🌐 [View this email on the web]( Photograph by Eric Helgas, styling by Alex Citrin-Safadi Listen up Which is not a property of rare earths? --------------------------------------------------------------- - They’re magnetic - They’re catalytic - They float - They glow Find out in the latest episode of the Quartz Obsession podcast, in which Quartz reporter Mary Hui digs deeper into rare earths and their place in the global economy. Sponsored by American Express 🎧 Listen to all this season’s episodes on [Apple Podcasts]( | [Spotify]( | [Google]( | [Stitcher]( (Already a Quartz Obsession podcast listener? We’d love to get your opinions on how we did. Here’s [a super brief survey](.) [Take me to the episode!]( Explain it like I’m 5! What are rare earths? --------------------------------------------------------------- [Rare earth metals shown on the periodic table of elements.] Rare earths are metals, a group of 17 elements that are relatively abundant on Earth, but not often found in concentrations high enough to make them economical to mine on their own—they’re often the byproduct of mining something else. They have several unique chemical and physical properties: 🧲 Magnetic. The way the electrons are aligned in some of the rare earth elements, such as samarium and neodymium, means they can store lots of magnetic energy. 💡 Luminescent. They’re glowy. Europium, for example, was essential for color TVs in the 1960s. ⚡️ Electrical. Used in batteries, certain rare earths can increase a battery’s energy density. 🧪 Catalytic. Some rare earths are good catalysts for certain chemical reactions, including cerium for catalytic converters in gasoline cars, and lanthanum for fluid catalytic cracking to refine crude oil. By the digits [60%:]( China’s share of global rare earths extraction in 2019 [87%:]( China’s share of global rare earths processing volume in 2019 [168,000 metric tons (185,000 tons):]( China’s production quota for rare earths for 2021 [20%:]( Increase of that quota compared with 2020 [1-2 kg (2.2-4.4 lb):]( Weight of a permanent rare earth motor in a typical electric vehicle, depending on motor power, car size, and model [>90%:]( Share of electrical vehicles that use permanent rare earth magnet motors [10%:]( Increase in driving range for Tesla vehicles with rare earth motors [1 metric ton:]( Rare earth oxide alloy or compound in a 5 megawatt direct-drive wind turbine Giphy Pop quiz What is the only rare earth NOT found in smartphones? CeriumLanthanumPromethiumNeodymium Correct. Promethium is radioactive, so it’s best we don’t carry it in our pockets. Incorrect. You chose the wrong “um.” Lanthanum and cerium are used to polish iPhone screens, and neodymium helps make phones vibrate. If your inbox doesn’t support this quiz, find the solution at bottom of email. Reuters/Steve Marcus DIY The big rare earth supply chain, in a few bullets --------------------------------------------------------------- Bastnaesite and monazite are ores mined for the rare earths they contain. In other cases, rare earths are the byproduct of mining for other metals like iron. That’s China’s approach, [and it’s rather economical](. Once the ores are mined, a series of complex steps follow: - Preliminary crushing, grinding, and floating. This concentrates the rare earths. - Cracking and leaching. The rare earth concentrate is baked (or “cracked”) in a hot kiln, then leached with water to remove impurities. At this point, the rare earths are still a mixed solution. - Separation. To separate the rare earths into groups or individual elements, the solution is turned into an insoluble solid, leaving pure rare earth metal or oxide products. - Application. The final product is then sold to customers, who use it for permanent magnets used in motors and hard drives, as catalysts for oil refining, and batteries. Since bastnaesite and monazite ores contain almost all 17 rare earth elements, this means rare earth producers are frequently left with a surplus of low-demand, low-priced metals in their bid to meet market demand for more “popular” elements. [That’s a big problem]( for China. Quotable “The demand for individual rare earth elements has always been disproportional to rare earth element production. In the history of rare earths you can see which element was ‘in fashion’ in what period by looking at the price developments. You can also see the overproduced byproducts, being sold at cabbage prices.” —Thomas Krümmer, director of Ginger International Trade and Investment, a Singapore-based firm focused on rare earth supply chain management, [speaking to Quartz]( Brief history [1788:]( The term rare earth is coined when an unusual black rock is unearthed by a miner in Ytterby, Sweden. [1952:]( The Mountain Pass rare earths mine opens in California. The mine, owned by Molybdenum Corporation of America, later known as Molycorp, dominates global rare earths production and exports from around 1960 until the 1990s. [1990s:]( Realizing the strategic value of rare earths, China begins to regulate the industry intensely. [2002:]( The Mountain Pass mine shuts down, undercut by China’s low prices. [2010:]( A fishing trawler dispute between Tokyo and Beijing leads to China temporarily blocking rare earth exports to Japan. Global rare earth prices spike. [2015:]( Molycorp, the American rare earths company, goes bankrupt. China consolidates its rare earth industry around [six major state-owned giants](. [2018:]( The Mountain Pass, now owned by a company called MP Materials, restarts operations. [2019:]( Then-US president Donald Trump jokes (or not?) about buying [Greenland](, home to the world’s biggest under-developed rare earth deposits. [2021:]( The Biden administration outlines steps to strengthen critical supply chains, including rare earths. Among other measures, the US government launches an investigation into whether Chinese imports of rare earth neodymium magnets [pose a threat to national security](. Charted Relying on China --------------------------------------------------------------- [A line chart showing the decline of Japan's rare earth dependence on China since the 1990s, though it's ticked upwards since 2015] After China’s temporary rare earths [embargo against Japan in 2010](, Tokyo realized it had to address its own vulnerability. In the years since, it has worked successfully to [diversify its critical mineral supplies](, investing in and partnering with rare earth companies around the world, supporting rare earth recycling efforts, and funding research on rare earth substitutes. Merely mining and processing more rare earths will not reduce reliance on China, even for countries with abundant rare earths to mine. The value of separated rare earth elements lies in their use in high-tech applications like permanent rare earth magnets, the production of which China currently dominates. For the US and Europe to shake off their China dependence, [the real solution is vertical integration](—that is, building sufficient capacity throughout the entire supply chain. Michel Porro/Getty Images Fun fact! Europium, a rare earth that glows red under ultraviolet light, is present in euro banknotes [for anti-forgery purposes](. Fake notes don’t blush. YouTube Watch this! Get ready! --------------------------------------------------------------- In 1968, Detroit rock band The Sunliners decided they wanted a more “with it” name, one that echoed heavy hippie rock vibes of groups like Iron Butterfly. They chose Rare Earth. One of the few all-white bands to [sign with Motown Records](, Rare Earth was known in the Motor City as an exceptional live act and jam band. Like a true rare earth metal, you may not recognize the name, but you’ll know them from one of their biggest hits, “Get Ready.” Giphy Poll Would you invest in a rare earths company? [Click here to vote]( No way, it’s too risky.Yes, I’m feeling very bullish.Are they in the metaverse? 💬 let's talk! In last week’s poll about [kudzu](, 72% of you would release the goats if you saw a stand of the flowering vine on your property, 13% would compose a poem, and 15% would just move away. ✉️ An anonymous reader wrote us about the kudzu Obsession: “It grew on me.” 🏆 🤔 [What did you think of today’s email?](mailto:obsession%2Bfeedback@qz.com?cc=&subject=Thoughts%20about%20rare%20earths&body=) 💡 [What should we obsess over next?](mailto:obsession%2Bideas@qz.com?cc=&subject=Obsess%20over%20this%20next.&body=) 🎲 [Show me a random Obsession]( Today’s email was written by [Mary Hui](, edited by [Annaliese Griffin](, and produced by [Jordan Weinstock](. [facebook]([twitter]([external-link]( The correct answer to the quiz is Promethium. Enjoying the Quartz Weekly Obsession? [Send this link]( to a friend! Want to advertise in the Quartz Weekly Obsession? 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