#lree

cha eunwoo as lee rim/prince dowon in every episode of ‘rookie historian goo hae-ryung’: ↳ episode 2 ♡ ‘Writing & reading are the only things I can do. Without them I have nothing.’

bonus:

Rare earth elements (REE) are key ingredients in manufacturing rare earth magnets. However, REEs are available in less mineable concentrations, which makes it difficult to obtain them in large amounts. Therefore, rare magnets are expensive. Besides, if any event disrupts the rare earth supply, it can cause price fluctuations.

Imagine a tragic death of a miner leads to a strike in a region known for producing rare earths, which would halt the mining and production of rare elements. As a result, this event will increase the price of rare earths as well as magnets, impacting global supply.

In this article, we will explore the five-step supply chain of rare magnets.

Five Key Steps in the Rare Earth Magnet Supply Chain

Mining: Extraction of Ore

The journey to rare earth magnets begins with mining large amounts of ores that contain a rare earth mixture. Monazite and bastnaesite are the go-to sources of rare metals such as neodymium, cerium, and lanthanum. But these ores also contain other minerals. So, the next step is:

Extracting the Concentrated Mixture

This step involves extracting the concentrated mixture of rare earth elements. Extraction is achieved through a multi-stage process of crushing, grinding, leaching, and precipitation to release the rare earths from the ore.

Separation: Handling Oxides

At this stage, the concentrated REE mixture is separated into individual rare earth oxides using a chemical reaction called calcination. 

Processing: Refining Heavy and Light Metals

This is where the oxides are processed into pure rare earth metals, which are then used in the production of rare earth magnets.

Magnet Production

The final step in magnet production involves melting a mix of materials, including rare earth metals, to create the right alloy. This is followed by shaping the material through milling, pressing, and heating to form magnets with the desired properties. The magnets are then cut into their final shape and magnetized to function properly.

Rare earth elements find applications in technologies ranging from high-tech devices, clean energy, and hybrid vehicles to wind power turbines, hard disk drives, and defence systems. All elements in the lanthanide series share similar chemical, magnetic, and spectroscopic properties; their role in a wide range of applications is attributed to these shared characteristics. 

The Applications of Rare Earths

The primary sources of rare earth elements are bastnaesite and monazite. In India, monazite tops the list of mineral materials for the production of rare earths. It includes many lanthanides; approximately 50–70% of them are light rare earth elements (LREE).

Here are the various uses of rare earth elements:

Cerium (Ce) is one of the most abundant rare earth elements in the Earth’s crust. It is used to polish glass items such as lenses, liquid-crystal displays and plasma-display panels. It is also used as a fuel additive in fuel material like petrol and diesel. In combination with lanthanum, it has a use as an environmentally friendly substitute of cadmium in red pigments. Mischmetal, a mix of cerium and some other rare metals, is used to keep steel clean during its production phase.

Lanthanum (La) and neodymium (Nd) find application as glass additives in optical lenses and display screens. Along with yttrium (Y), they help store elements like magnesium, aluminum, and hydrogen. They act as catalysts to minimise sulphur dioxide emissions in automobiles. Nd also finds uses in welding in heavy industries and in medical equipment like MRI scanners.

Samarium (Sm), dysprosium (Dy), praseodymium (Pr), and terbium (Tb) are utilized in electronics, electric motors and audio equipment for their magnetic properties. Pr is used as neodymium’s replacement in magnets.

Scandium (Sc) is primarily used in aluminium alloys for sports equipment. This metal is mixed in small amounts in semiconductors and halogen bulbs.

Rare earth magnets, such as neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB), are used in anti-lock brakes in cars to prevent the wheels from locking when you brake hard. These magnets also find applications in small gadgets such as digital cameras.

Nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries are considered special batteries. They have a mix of rare metals, including mischmetal, and are used in laptops, camcorders, and mobile phones to power them.