Rare Earth Mining: Unearthing the Facts for Investors

Rare earth elements play a key role in many modern technologies, from smartphones and electric vehicle magnets to smartphones in our pockets and magnets powering electric vehicles. But Beijing's grip on these essential materials has created widespread global concern regarding sustainability and supply chain security.

Chrisey is part of the EMBER program, which seeks to develop new methods of isolating rare earth metals from mixtures.

How They’re Mined

Rare Earth Elements (REEs) are an intriguing group of metals with magnetic, phosphorescent, and catalytic properties that make them invaluable in various fields from miniaturizing electronics to powering electric vehicles. Military and defense contractors highly prize them as they use them for producing missile propellants and precision optics among many other uses.

China dominates world REE production, accounting for an estimated 95%. In 2010, when exports were restricted in order to secure enough rare earth resources domestically for manufacturing purposes, prices skyrocketed dramatically, forcing mining companies to reevaluate old rare earth prospects while exploring new ones, while forcing manufacturers to find ways to reduce REE use or develop substitute materials to replace REEs altogether.

At present, researchers are striving to reduce the environmental footprint associated with rare earth extraction, particularly by limiting toxic chemical releases during leaching pond processes used to separate metals from ore. Some scientists are even exploring using waste products like mine drainage water or old electronics as sources for REEs.

On average, it takes an estimated 16.5 years from discovery to first production for mining projects to move from discovery to initial output. With such a lengthy timeline involved in reaching production milestones, there is the risk that companies wait until shortages appear before opening new projects that could eventually create bottlenecks in production capacity.

https://cleantechnica.com/2011/07/09/japan-scores-huge-rare-earth-find-in-the-south-pacific/

Where They’re Mined

As demand for rare earths increased, so too did interest in finding them. Unfortunately, their location can be challenging; their elemental concentrations tend to be scattered among mineral ores with other materials and extracting them requires vast quantities of ore and produces hazardous byproducts as waste products.

Mining companies also face an uphill journey when developing new projects, taking several years or longer from initial exploration to production and potentially increasing prices due to shortages of rare earths.

China decided in 2010 to reduce rare earth exports so as to provide domestic manufacturers with enough rare earths for both environmental reasons and their own requirements. This action caused panic buying and led to sharply rising rare earth prices.

MP Materials from Las Vegas has recently unveiled plans for a separation facility in California to process ore from its Mountain Pass mine - taking an important step toward decreasing our nation's dependence on China for these essential metals.

Still, the United States remains completely net import-reliant for rare earths; therefore, Texas has become a central location for development of this sector. Texas high-tech manufacturing and defense industries stand to benefit greatly from having access to domestic sources of these critical materials.

https://www.evernote.com/shard/s586/sh/7fce6844-8980-ee0d-3982-b73cf3b226d7/20f608b4fccb3f635ebc22a7f02cc1c9

How They’re Separated

Rare earth minerals possess unique magnetic, phosphorescent and catalytic properties which make them ideal for miniaturized magnets as well as the powerful electric motors found on electric vehicles. Due to these properties, rare earths minerals have become vital components in high-tech manufacturing.

Rare earths differ from most metals in that they don't naturally occur as pure deposits; rather they're mixed up with various elements at various concentrations in ore that must first be processed by solvent extraction - an intensive and time-consuming process that also takes considerable experience and knowledge of each geological deposit to optimize. Thus, only major producers like Molycorp's Mountain Pass Mine in California and China's Shenghe Resources dominate the industry.

However, new technologies could alter this equilibrium and bring down their cost significantly. One such technique known as biomining aims to use microbes to break apart or isolate an element from larger mixtures; Chrisey's team has begun work on an Environmental Microbes as a BioEngineered Resource program (EMBER) program in this direction.

The project seeks to develop more sustainable, socially responsible production processes while building a global network of suppliers of minerals. However, success will ultimately depend on whether consumers and manufacturers are willing to pay more for products made ethically and responsibly--and whether policies can be established that support recycling used materials while encouraging new techniques of recycling.

How They’re Refined

Rare Earth Elements (REEs) are essential components for many of today's advanced technologies, from smartphones in your pocket to magnets powering electric cars. Also known as Lanthanides, REEs possess unique fluorescent, conductive, and magnetic properties which make them useful in everything from strong magnets and rechargeable battery components to laser devices and optical systems.

Rare earths are plentifully found throughout Earth's crust, yet their complex chemical makeup makes it hard to separate and purify them for use in technology applications. Because of this difficulty in doing so, companies that mine rare earths must send the raw ore to China for refining before using the refined rare earths in products.

China has long held an iron grip over global supply chains. They control over 60 percent of mining operations and 85 percent of processing capacity as well as 90 percent of permanent magnet production worldwide - creating a substantial risk to America given Washington's tenuous relationship with Beijing.

Researchers are making great strides toward breaking down barriers to U.S. production and decreasing Chinese dominance in this field. A company called EMBER is creating an industrial process similar to natural phenomena where microbes break apart or separate elements from mixtures containing them; their goal is to use this process with REEs specifically, due to their unique properties.