Posts Tagged ‘shopping’
Find Rare
Sunday, September 25th, 2011
A Glimpse Into The Global Rare Earth Element Production
A Glimpse Into The Global Rare Earth Element Production
Rare Earth Metals (REM) are so called, not because of their scarcity in the earth’s crust, but because they are not present in concentrated and usable forms. This group of seventeen metals includes fifteen lanthanoids as well as scandium and yttrium and is used for numerous purposes, ranging from the production of high refractive index glass, lasers and magnets, to nuclear batteries and portable X-ray machines. As the demand for REM increases with the ever-thriving technological advances, one wonders how these demands are met. Take a look at the REM production since the 1950s.
1. During the 1950s South Africa took over from India and Brazil as the leading provider of REM when huge reserves of monazite were discovered there.
2. In the 1960s California became the main producer of the rare earth elements and stayed so for the next two decades, courtesy of The Mountain Pass rare earth mine.
3. Today, however, almost all of the world’s heavy REMs come from Chinese reserves, especially Inner Mongolia and the poly-metallic Bayan Obo deposit. Even though China has only 37% of proven deposits, it is still responsible for over 97% of the world’s REM production. According to a report issued by the U.S. Geological Survey China’s production of rare-earth elements has speeded up during the last couple of decades.
4. On the 1st of September 2009, China announced that it would reduce its export quota between 2010-2015 to only 35,000 tons/year, in order to conserve natural resources and the environment. Following this, China made further announcements during 2010 that involved reduction in its production of rare earths, so as to prevent the “over-exploitation” of the earth’s precious resources.
5. Increase in demand and the new export regulations and restrictions imposed in China meant that opportunity for other sources of REMs to get back in business. These sources, such as South Africa, Brazil, Australia and the U.S. had previously been dwarfed by the massive and cheap Chinese production. Searches are going on in these areas to locate further REM reserves and the mines that had previously been shut down are being prepared to be re-opened.
6. One example of such a project which is being planned to be started is the Hoidas Lake Project in Northern Canada. Studies show that this project might be able to fulfill around 10% of the consumption rare earth elements that occurs in North America every year.
7. Moreover, many sites in Vietnam, the Northwest Territories and Nebraska are also being looked into for mining purposes. Pre-feasibility drilling at Kvanefjeld in Greenland show it has noteworthy amounts of black lujavrite, known to be rich in rare earth oxides.
8. In 2011, an Australian mining company called Lynas boasted about almost having finished building a rare-earth refinery costing US$230 million. This refinery had facilities to refine slightly radioactive ore and was said to be enough to fulfill almost one-thirds of the world’s demands for REM (not including China).
9. Developments in recycling facilities have shown light on other possible sources of REMs, lately. These sources include electronic waste as well as nuclear reprocessing.
10. Nuclear fission of certain elements such as uranium and plutonium not only leads to production of Rare-Earth Elements but also of some of their isotopes. Some of these isotopes are radioactive, however, which unfortunately implies that it is highly improbable to extract them safely from the mixture. Knowing this, it can be concluded that though the major supplier of the world’s REM is still China, alternatives are fast being discovered and developed to meet the increasing demand of these valuable minerals.
About the Author
http://PublicMining.org/ is a free resource about the mining Companies for the discriminating mining investor.
Nuclear fission of certain elements such as uranium and plutonium not only leads to production of Rare-Earth Elements
|
|
10 Neodymium Magnets 1/2 x 1/8 inch Disc N48 $8.59 ONE lot of 10 Magnets. Size: 1/2 inch diameter x 1/2 inch thick discs. Nickel (Ni) Plated (silver-like shine) Grade: N48 – Extremely powerful magnetic material Pull Force is approximately 6.1 pounds under ideal conditions. These discs are axially magnetized, so the strong North/South poles are in the center of the flat sides. That makes them easier to stack into a cylinder than to connect side by … |
|
|
Libbey Polaris Drinking Glasses and Tumblers, Set of 16 $26.99 A Contemporary glass part of our new heavy base collection. The glasses have a rounded heavy base that is 1-inch thick. It creates a clean contemporary look. The heavy base is rich looking. Large capacity is also a bonus with these glasses…. |
|
|
Three By Three Seattle Tiny Mighties Magnets, 0.125 Inches Diameter, Chrome, 16 Pack (20500) $7.99 At 1/8 inch in diameter these chromed Tiny Mighties are surprisingly strong for their size, yet so small they’re almost invisible. These ultra strong magnets are commonly referred to as neodymium magnets or rare earth magnets. One Tiny Mighty is strong enough to hold 3 sheets of 8 1/2 x 11 paper. This set includes 16 magnets, from Three By Three Seattle…. |
|
|
Pure Funk $7.14 Music Audio CD… |
|
|
Backtracks (2CD+DVD) $23.58 Detailed item info Track listing DISC 1: 1. Stick Around 2. Love Song 3. Fling Thing 4. R.I.P. (Rock In Peace) 5. Carry Me Home 6. Crabsody In Blue 7. Cold Hearted Man 8. Snake Eye 9. Borrowed Time 10. Down On the Borderline 11. Big Gun 12. Cyberspace DISC 2: |
|
|
Hard To Find 45s On CD, Volume 12 (60s & 70s Pop Classics) $10.71 It’s been too long since Eric visited this time period (1964-1977) in the Hard To Find 45s on CD series, but this volume is worth the wait with nearly an hour’s worth of mostly Top 20 Hits not commonly found on other CDs. As always, the correct single versions in true stereo, this time including the worldwide stereo debut of Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders #1 smash, Game of Love. Other Highlights … |
|
|
BackYard Show: Barney & Friends [VHS] $12.99 … |
|
|
Up – Limited Edition Luxo Jr. Collectible Lamp Pack [Blu-ray] $179.99 At a time when too many animated films consist of anthropomorphized animals cracking sitcom one-liners and flatulence jokes, the warmth, originality, humor, and unflagging imagination of Up feel as welcome as rain in a desert. Carl Fredericksen (voice by Ed Asner) ranks among the most unlikely heroes in recent animation history. A 78- year-old curmudgeon, he enjoyed his modest life as a balloon se… |
|
|
The Wishmaker $69.99 Based on ‘The Goosegirl’ by The Brothers Grim. Dubbed in English…. |
|
|
CH Hanson 03040 Magnetic Stud Finder $5.42 The Stud 4 Sure is a stud finder that uses powerful rare earth magnets to pinpoint the exact location of screws or nails in a stud. The tool doesn’t require batteries and never needs calibration. By keeping the tool free of moving or electronic parts, the Stud 4 Sure is easy to use and fits easily into any tool pouch. Just place the stud finder on the wall and sweep in an “S” pattern to loca… |
