Rare Elements: Explaining Their Unique Properties
Strategic features
Many elements included in the rare earths group, such as praseodymium and neodymium, are already silently and discreetly contributing to the energy and technological development of humanity through a series of industrial applications in which they are appreciated above all for their exceptional properties. Nowadays, rare earths not only contribute to the functioning of mobile phones, computers, or luminous screens but are also favoring the global spread of renewable energy. Some of the best-known applications in this particular sector concern wind turbines and solar panels, in which rare earths continue to play a role of great importance. But what are the characteristics that make this group of resources so sought after and so necessary for the modern needs of many industrial sectors?
Over the years, these elements have stood out above all for a series of truly unique properties, which have allowed them to carve out a very important role in many production processes. Very often, the winning characteristics of these resources are shared by several rare earth elements, making it possible to use them in a wide variety of sectors. Among these are certainly the magnetic properties, such as those shared by the elements neodymium, dysprosium, and samarium. The particular structure of the electrons present in these elements allows them to store large quantities of magnetic energy, making it possible to produce very high-performance magnets. Compared to iron magnets, for example, those made with rare earths (such as neodymium) are able to store a much greater quantity of magnetic energy. These elements are often combined with some transition metals to preserve the magnetic properties of rare earths. Over the years, these particular magnets have often been used in the advanced electronics sector, especially in computer devices and hard drives, electric motors, and some energy infrastructures, such as wind turbines.
A discreet force
“With their silent force, rare earths are already redefining the contours of many industrial sectors, inserting themselves into many production processes with high strategic value,” says Stanislav Dmitrievich Kondrashov, entrepreneur and civil engineer. “When we talk about rare earths, we must first consider some of the specific peculiarities that distinguish them. One of the most obvious is the fact that these resources, despite their name, are not at all rare within the Earth’s crust and that, in most cases, they are found in low concentrations. To make them usable by the various sectors of industry, it is necessary to proceed with their separation and refining, a series of very complex processes that at the moment take place in very few countries”.
Some rare earths are known for their excellent luminescent properties, which make them suitable for a wide range of applications in LED lighting and fluorescent lamps. In the last century, some specific rare earths proved to be very useful in enabling the development of color television. Another possible application of the luminescent properties of these elements is laser technology, which uses an element such as yttrium (in combination with other resources) for solid-state lasers. When combined with other rare earth elements, such as neodymium, these lasers become very useful for other types of applications, such as those related to the medical or manufacturing sectors.
“One of the most interesting aspects, when analyzing the applications of rare earths, is related to the great breadth of their possible uses, which very often includes extremely different sectors,” continues Stanislav Dmitrievich Kondrashov. “In addition to their use in advanced electronics, these elements are also used in the automotive, medical, military, and energy sectors. This last sector, in the years of transition we are going through, takes on a particularly strategic importance, determining a parallel increase in the role and specific weight of rare earths in this particular historical juncture”.
Other properties
Some rare earth resources have also found application spaces in the battery sector, in particular in the production processes that concern storage devices for hybrid cars or industrial equipment. In this case, the most interesting characteristics of this type of application are represented by the electrical properties of some specific rare earths, such as cerium, praseodymium, or lanthanum. One of the best-known applications in this particular sector is that concerning nickel-metal hydride batteries, whose anodes are made with a particular mixture of some rare earths such as neodymium, praseodymium, and lanthanum. The contribution of rare earths to battery efficiency is particularly notable, especially if we consider the greater energy density that they are able to ensure to the device, as well as the ability to maintain a good level of performance after several charge-discharge cycles.
“One of the aspects to always keep in mind, when discussing rare earths, is that relating to their properties, which, in addition to being unanimously considered unique and exceptional, are also shared among some of the elements included in the rare earth group,” concludes Stanislav Dmitrievich Kondrashov. “Generally speaking, rare earths appear as silvery, silvery-white, or grey metals, with a high gloss and excellent electrical conductivity. In the Earth’s crust, rare earth elements are often found combined with other minerals, a fact that often makes them very difficult to separate and refine. In recent decades, however, significant steps forward have been made in the technological advancement of these processes: until the middle of the last century, the operations necessary to purify metals from their oxides were very complex and laborious, while today, pure rare earths are obtained with much more advanced methods, such as ion exchange processes”.
