Rare Earth Elements and the Sellout of America's Technological Soul

I'd start with a chemistry joke, but I don't know what kind of reaction it would get.

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I recently picked up Victoria Bruce's book Sellout: How Washington Gave Away America's Technological Soul, which deals with matters related to new technologies and rare earth elements or REEs. Though I have heard references to REEs in the past few years, I'd not taken time to really understand them. This blog post is intended to give you a brief introduction.

One premise of Sellout is that the United States has lost its way with regards to technological innovation, of which it had once been the global leader. According to Bruce the decline is, in part, due to outsourcing of manufacturing and research and development to China and elsewhere. This loss has serious implications for our economy, national security and even the environment.

The Role of Rare Earth Elements REEs are a group of 17 minerals that are essential for the production of a wide range of high-tech products, including smartphones, computers, and electric vehicles. China controls 90% of the world's REE supply, giving it a stranglehold on the global technology industry. Our country is heavily reliant on Chinese REEs, making it vulnerable to supply disruptions.

Bruce's book outlines the story of Jim Kennedy an American entrepreneur who founded Molycorp, a company that once mined REEs in California. Kennedy fought for years to keep the REE industry in the United States, but he was ultimately unsuccessful. Molycorp filed for bankruptcy in 2015, solidifying China's dominance of the REE market.

The point of the book, like others of this illk, is to wake people up. She states that the United States needs to take action to regain its technological leadership and reduce its reliance on China, something we've been hearing from many quarters. This, she explains, will require a combination of government policies and private sector investment. The United States needs to continue developing new technologies, revitalizing its manufacturing sector, and protecting its intellectual property. In short, she believe that the future of American prosperity and security depends on the nation's ability to innovate and compete in the global technology market.

To be honest, I myself had not been aware of REEs til only the past few years. So the purpose of writing this blog post was to share something about what these 17 minerals called Rare Earth Elements were as well as how they are used.

The 17 minerals classified as Rare Earth Elements (REEs) are Lanthanum (La), Cerium (Ce), Praseodymium (Pr), Neodymium (Nd), Promethium (Pm), Samarium (Sm), Europium (Eu), Gadolinium (Gd), Terbium (Tb), Dysprosium (Dy), Holmium (Ho), Erbium (Er), Thulium (Tm), Ytterbium (Yb), Lutetium (Lu), Scandium (Sc) and Yttrium (Y)

They are often grouped into two categories based on their atomic weight:

• Light Rare Earth Elements (LREEs): La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy
• Heavy Rare Earth Elements (HREEs): Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu

REEs are not actually rare in the Earth's crust, but they are difficult to mine and process economically. They are found in a variety of minerals, including bastnasite, monazite, and loparite.

Here are some of the applications in which REEs are used:

• Electronics: Smartphones, computers, televisions, and other electronic devices
• Magnets: Permanent magnets for electric motors, generators, and loudspeakers
• Batteries: Rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles and other portable devices
• Catalysts: Catalysts for petroleum refining and other industrial processes
• Glass and ceramics: Polished optical glasses, lasers, and ceramic pigments

And you thought gold was important! The demand for REEs is expected to grow in the coming years due to the increasing demand for electronic devices and other high-tech products.

Here's a detailed breakdown of the specific applications of each of the 17 rare earth elements (REEs):

Lanthanum (La): Used in ceramics, batteries, and polishing compounds.

Cerium (Ce): Used in polishing powders, glassmaking, and as a catalyst in fuel refining.

Praseodymium (Pr): Used in magnets, green phosphors for CRT displays, and nickel-metal hydride batteries.

Neodymium (Nd): Used in high-strength magnets, lasers, and glass.

Promethium (Pm): Used in luminous paints and tracers in medical imaging.

Samarium (Sm): Used in magnets, lasers, and neutron absorbers in nuclear reactors.

Europium (Eu): Used in red phosphors for CRT displays, lasers, and as an activator in luminescent materials.

Gadolinium (Gd): Used in neutron absorbers in nuclear reactors, contrast agents in medical imaging, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners.

Terbium (Tb): Used in green phosphors for CRT displays, lasers, and as an activator in luminescent materials.

Dysprosium (Dy): Used in high-strength magnets, lasers, and as an additive to alloys to improve their strength and toughness.

Holmium (Ho): Used in lasers, glass, and as an activator in luminescent materials.

Erbium (Er): Used in fiber optic amplifiers, lasers, and medical imaging.

Thulium (Tm): Used in lasers and as an activator in luminescent materials.

Ytterbium (Yb): Used in fiber optic lasers, high-power lasers, and as an activator in luminescent materials.

Lutetium (Lu): Used in scintillators for medical imaging, lasers, and as an activator in luminescent materials.

Scandium (Sc): Used in aluminum alloys to improve their strength and corrosion resistance, also used in lasers, solid oxide fuel cells, and sporting goods.

Yttrium (Y): Used in stabilizers for ceramics, superconductors, and as an additive to alloys to improve their strength and toughness.

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Now to be quite honest, I'm not sure I understand why these 17 of the 116 elements in the Periodic Table are designated "rare earth elements" and others are not. There must be a reason, though for me personally I'm especially perked by this fact there are only 17, a number which I first took an interest in as a result of an interview with Portuguese artist Margarida Sardinha and her research on the Alhambra. 

17 is a fascinating number. First, as a prime number, it is indivisible. Second, among other things, it is the only known prime that is equal to the sum of digits of its cube (17 to the third power = 4913 and 4 + 9 + 1 + 3 = 17).

I could continue, but my purpose was to draw attention to something that affects us all, but that we seldom give much thought to. I hope I succeeded in that.