"Rare Earth Elements: Strategic Importance, Challenges, and Global Implications", rare earth metals, national security, modern technology

 

How do you define rare earth metals?

 They consist of seventeen different metallic components. These consist of the fifteen lanthanides listed in the periodic table, as well as yttrium and scandium, which exhibit comparable chemical and physical characteristics to the lanthanides. Cerium (Ce), dysprosium (Dy), erbium (Er), europium (Eu), gadolinium (Gd), holmium (Ho), lanthanum (La), lutetium (Lu), neodymium (Nd), praseodymium (Pr), promethium (Pm), samarium (Sm), scandium (Sc), terbium (Tb), thulium (Tm), ytterbium (Yb), and yttrium (Yb) are the 17 Rare Earth planets.

Because of their special magnetic, luminescent, and electrochemical qualities, these minerals are utilized in a wide range of contemporary technologies, such as those related to consumer electronics, networks, computers, communications, healthcare, national security, and clean energy. Future technologies also require these REEs. For instance, safe hydrogen storage and transportation, high-temperature superconductivity, and a post-hydrocarbon economy.They are referred to as "rare earth" because it was formerly challenging to technologically separate them from their oxide counterparts. They can be found in a variety of minerals, although usually in small enough quantities to be economically processed.

How Did Rare Earths Get Monopolized in China? Over time, China has come to dominate the world market for rare earths; at one point, it produced 90% of what the world needed. However, it is now just 60%, with the remainder coming from other nations, such as the Quad (Australia, India, Japan, and the United States). Production facilities have opened in Australia and the US, as well as smaller facilities in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, since China stopped exporting rare earth elements to Japan, the US, and Europe in 2010. Nevertheless, China still holds the largest proportion of processed rare earths.

Globally: In June 2022, the Multilateral Minerals Security Partnership (MSP) was unveiled, aiming to unite nations in the construction of strong essential mineral supply chains required to meet climate goals. The United States (US), Canada, Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and several European nations are all partners in this cooperation. The collaboration does not include India.In order to increase mineral production, make it easier to do business in the nation, and increase the contribution of mineral production to GDP, the Ministry of Mines in India amended the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) (MMDR) Act, 1957, through the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2021. According to the amended statute, no mine will be set aside for a specific end purpose.

For what reason are they known as rare earth minerals? Because they were first extracted as oxides from "rare minerals" in the 18th and 19th centuries, they are known as "rare earths." Furthermore, until the 20th century, it was technically challenging to separate them from their oxide forms. As a result, they continue to go by the name they were given in the 18th century. Although they can be found in a wide variety of minerals, their concentrations are usually too low for profitable refinement.

What does the acronym REE mean? They possess unique nuclear, magnetic, luminescent, electrical, metallurgical, and catalytic characteristics. Their utilization of new and varied technologies that meet the demands of modern society makes them strategically significant.From everyday items like lighter flints, glass polishing solutions, and automobile alternators to high-end devices like lasers, magnets, batteries, and fiber-optic communication cables, its applications are many. These REMs are necessary even for futuristic technologies (e.g., high-temperature superconductivity, environmental global warming, safe hydrogen storage and transportation for a post-hydrocarbon economy, and energy efficiency challenges).

Along with its growth into upscale technology, the environment, and the economy, REMs have seen a sharp rise in demand worldwide. Consumer electronics, computers, networks, communications, clean energy, improved transportation, health care, environmental mitigation, national security, and many other modern technologies rely heavily on them.

They contribute to technology' increased efficiency, performance, downsizing, speed, durability, and thermal stability by enabling them to operate with less weight, emissions, and energy consumption because of their special magnetic, luminescent, and electrochemical characteristics.

There have been wars over water and oil. However, will the availability of scandium, neodymium, or dysprosium be the source of future international crises? Or may disputes be waged over any of the 17 rare earth elements that are becoming increasingly crucial in the creation of the newest high-tech products day by day? Rare earths, often overlooked by chemistry teachers, are now ubiquitous, tucked away in a little area of the periodic table of elements. They enable your headphones to be small enough to fit in your ears, are located in your iPod or tablet computer, and are essential for the red color on your TV screen, regardless of the brand.

They can be found in new generation wind turbines, solar panels, missile defense systems, hybrid autos (both in the batteries and the fuel), and even F-16 fighter jets. Currently, China supplies 97% of the world's rare earth elements, which worries the United States from a security and economic standpoint.

Growing demand ,one of the main applications for rare earths is the production of permanent magnets, which are an essential part of many green technologies. They increase the dependability and efficiency of the most recent generation of wind turbines. However, there aren't enough raw materials to go around because these elements have so many different applications, even for polishing glass. The amount of rare earths available for export has decreased as a result of China's rapid economic growth and increased use of its own rare earths. 

"It is a security issue solely because these minerals are utilized in vital military components because of their qualities, which we don't currently have alternatives for," Christine Parthemore says. "If the prices go way up or there are actual supply shortages, it can drive prices up over the long term on military procurement - or it can mean there are parts that we can't manufacture here in the United States anymore." It enhances the industry's need to process the resources and extract the minerals. "The elements are all mixed together in the ore we mine," Jim Sims states. "We turn them into a liquid, and let these elements settle out into oxides which are like powders," he says.

Conclusion

Rare earth elements (REEs) are essential to contemporary technology because of their special electrochemical, magnetic, and luminous characteristics. They are vital for a wide range of applications, from consumer electronics and renewable energy technologies to sophisticated military systems. They are made up of 17 elements, including the 15 lanthanides, yttrium, and scandium. Although these elements are not very rare in nature, their difficult extraction and purification make them economically scarce.

Since rare earth elements are essential for cutting-edge technologies, China's hegemony in the supply chain has sparked worries about national security and the economy on a worldwide scale. As a result, countries like the US, Australia, and others have been forced to invest in alternate sources and diversify their supply chains. However, the world's supply is still under pressure due to rising demand, especially for green technology like wind turbines and hybrid cars. Rare earth elements will only become more strategically significant as they become essential to both present and future technologies. In the upcoming decades, maintaining diverse and sustainable supply chains will be essential to reducing geopolitical tensions and fostering international technical developments.