What are rare earths for

Question 1: What exactly are rare earths for? A common analogy is that if the oil is the blood of industry, the rare earths is the industrial vitamins. In the rare earth minerals and related industries on the road to development, China is a veritable "rare earth train" conductor. China is rich in rare earth deposits, dominated by three world's first: the first reserves, the first scale of production, the first export volume. At the same time, China is the only country that can provide all 17 kinds of rare earth metals, especially the military use is extremely prominent in the medium and heavy rare earths, China's share of the enviable. But the "conductor" also has its own shame: to be able to provide such a full range of high-specification services, but the fare has been very low, and even sell how much is not their own decision. From 1990 to 2007, China's rare earth exports increased nearly 10 times. Yet, incredibly, the export price has been depressed by 36%. For a long time, rare earth pricing power in the hands of Japan and the United States, China is due to domestic corporate infighting and other reasons to let the pricing power belongs to their own fall by the wayside. At the same time, China's "rare earth train" pulled on more and more passengers: before 2002, the purchase of China's rare earths only Japan, the United States, France and other countries, in 2003, the purchase of countries and regions up to 56, in 2004 and then increased to 74. Sell more tickets, pull more people, but the fare is much less. Some rare earth enterprises in China said that according to the current price, the profit margin is only 1% to 5%. At this time, even some countries take advantage of the low price to hoard. As early as 1983, Japan introduced a rare mineral strategic reserve system, 83% of its domestic rare earths from China. It is worth mentioning that there have been media reports that Japan in the purchase of a large number of rare earths, and is not eager to use, but will be stored in the seabed, in order to cope with future energy needs. Then look at the United States, it is second only to China's rare earth reserves, but from 1999 onwards, it has taken the sealing and other means to gradually stop the mining of rare earth resources in their own countries, and turn to import a large number of imports from China

Problem 2: rare earths are doing what rare earths are not earth.

First, rare earth elements

Rare earth elements is the lanthanide system of rare earth elements group of general terms, including scandium Sc, yttrium Y and lanthanide system of 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, **** 17 elements.

The term "rare earths" was adopted in the 18th century because the minerals used to extract these elements were rare, and the oxides obtained were difficult to melt, dissolve in water, or separate, and resembled "soil" in appearance. They are called rare earths. Rare earth elements are divided into "light rare earth elements" and "heavy rare earth elements":

"Light rare earth elements" refers to the smaller atomic number of scandium Sc, yttrium Y and lanthanum La, cerium Ce, praseodymium Pr, neodymium Ce, praseodymium Pr, and neodymium Ce.

"Light rare earth elements" refers to the smaller atomic number of scandium Sc, yttrium Y and lanthanum La, cerium Ce, praseodymium Pr, neodymium Nd, promethium Pm, samarium Sm, europium Eu.

"Heavy rare earth elements" atomic number of gadolinium Gd, terbium Tb, dysprosium Dy, holmium Ho, erbium Er, thulium Tm, ytterbium Yb, lutetium Lu.

Second, the status of the rare earth resources and reserves

Due to the active nature of rare earth elements, making it a pro-earth element. The nature of the active, making it a lithophilic element, the crust has not been found in its natural metal anhydrous or sulfide, most commonly in the form of complex oxides, aqueous or anhydrous silicates, aqueous or anhydrous phosphates, phosphorosilicates, fluorocarbonates, and fluoride and other forms exist. Because the ionic radius of rare earth elements, oxidation state and all other elements are similar, so

so in the minerals they are often together with other elements *** birth.

China's rare earth resources account for 80% of the world's rare earth resources, to oxide (REO) amounted to 36 million tons, the prospect of reserves is actually 100 million tons.

China's rare earth resources are divided into two major blocks in the north and south.

-- North: light rare earth resources, concentrated in Baotou Baiyun Ebot and other places, and later found in Sichuan Coronation. Mainly containing lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium and a small amount of samarium, europium, gadolinium and other elements;

--South: medium and heavy rare earth resources, distributed in Jiangxi, Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Hunan and other provinces, rare ionic endowment with granite weathered crust layer, mainly containing samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium, yttrium and lanthanum, neodymium and other elements. The main elements are lanthanum, neodymium and other elements.

China's rare earth industry is also divided into two major production systems: north and south.

-- North to Baosteel Rare Earth High Tech Company and Gansu Rare Earth Company as the axis, constituting the Baotou rare earth resources, mainly in Sichuan resources, supplemented by light rare earth products production system. The backbone enterprises are Nuclear Industry 202 Factory, Baotou Lucy Rona Rare Earth Co., Ltd, Baotou Hefa Rare Earth Factory, Baotou Rare Earth Smelter, Harbin Rare Earth Materials Factory, Sichuan Rare Earth Materials Factory, Sichuan Shifang City Jida Chemical Factory, Anning River Rare Earth Smelter and so on. The main products include rare earth concentrates, rare earth ferro-silicon alloys, mixed rare earth compounds, enriched materials and mixed metals. The production capacity of rare earth concentrates and the handling and processing capacity reaches 50,000 tons (REO-oxide calculation).

-- South to Shanghai Yue Long Nonferrous Metals Co., Ltd. as the leader, constitutes the Jiangxi and Guangdong provinces ionic rare earth resources, mainly in the middle and heavy rare earth production system. The backbone enterprises are Guangzhou Zhujiang Smelter, Guangdong Yangjiang Rare Earth Plant, Jiangsu Xinwei Group, Jiangsu Liyang Founder Rare Earth General Factory, Jiangyin Jiahua Rare Earth Smelter, Jiangsu Jiangfei Rare Earth Smelter, Jiangxi Longnan Rare Earth Company, Jiangxi Xunwu Rare Earth Company, Jiangxi Rare Earth Company, Jiangxi Nuclear Industry 713 Mining and so on. The main products are a variety of high-purity single rare earth compounds and metals, enrichments, mixed metals and alloys. Separation of the total scale has exceeded 10 000 tons, and began large-scale processing and separation of northern light rare earth raw materials.

Fourth, the scope of application of rare earth elements

At present, the application of rare earth elements is booming, has been extended to all aspects of science and technology, especially in the modern development and application of a number of new functional materials, rare earth elements have become an indispensable raw material.

1, rare earth elements in the traditional industries in the field of application

-- Agricultural field: the current development of rare earth agronomy, rare earth soil science, rare earth plant physiology, rare earth hygiene and toxicology and rare earth microanalysis and other disciplines. Rare earths as plant growth, physiological regulators, crops with yield, improve the quality and resistance to three major features; at the same time, rare earths are low-toxicity substances, harmless to humans and animals, no pollution of the environment; the rational use of rare earths, crops can be made to enhance drought-resistant, waterlogging-resistant and resistance to collapse ability. At present, China's farmland application of rare earth area of 5,000-7,000,000 mu/year, for the country to increase the production of grain, cotton, beans, oil, sugar, such as 600-800 million kilograms, the direct economic benefits of 1.0-1.5 billion yuan, the annual consumption of rare earths 1,100-1,200 tons.

-- Metallurgical industry field: rare earths in the metallurgical industry in a large amount of applications, accounting for about 1/3 of the total amount of rare earths. rare earth elements capacity ...... >>

Question 3: What are rare earths used for Rare earths are not earth.

I. Rare earth elements

Rare earth elements is a general term for the group of rare earth elements in the lanthanide system, including scandium Sc, yttrium Y and 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, **** 17 elements.

"Light rare earth elements" refers to the smaller atomic number of scandium Sc, yttrium Y and lanthanum La, cerium Ce, praseodymium Pr, neodymium Ce, praseodymium Pr, neodymium Ce, praseodymium Pr, and neodymium Ce.

"Light rare earth elements" refers to the smaller atomic number of scandium Sc, yttrium Y and lanthanum La, cerium Ce, praseodymium Pr, neodymium Nd, promethium Pm, samarium Sm, europium Eu.

"Heavy rare earth elements" atomic number of gadolinium Gd, terbium Tb, dysprosium Dy, holmium Ho, erbium Er, thulium Tm, ytterbium Yb, lutetium Lu.

Second, the status of the rare earth resources and reserves

Due to the active nature of rare earth elements, making it a pro-earth element. The nature of the active, making it a lithophilic element, the crust has not been found in its natural metal anhydrous or sulfide, most commonly in the form of complex oxides, aqueous or anhydrous silicates, aqueous or anhydrous phosphates, phosphosilicates, fluorocarbonates, as well as fluoride and other forms exist. Because the ionic radius, oxidation state of rare earth elements and all other elements are similar, so

so in the minerals they are often together with other elements **** born.

China's rare earth resources account for 80% of the world's rare earth resources, to oxide (REO) amounted to 36 million tons, the prospect of reserves is actually 100 million tons.

China's rare earth resources are divided into two major blocks in the north and south.

-- North: light rare earth resources, concentrated in Baotou Baiyun Ebote and other places, and later in Sichuan Coronation and found. Mainly containing lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium and a small amount of samarium, europium, gadolinium and other elements;

China's rare earth industry is also divided into two major production systems: north and south.

-- North to Baosteel Rare Earth High Tech Company and Gansu Rare Earth Company as the axis, constituting the Baotou rare earth resources, mainly in Sichuan resources, supplemented by light rare earth products production system. The backbone enterprises are Nuclear Industry 202 Factory, Baotou Lucy Rona Rare Earth Co., Ltd, Baotou Hefa Rare Earth Factory, Baotou Rare Earth Smelter, Harbin Rare Earth Materials Factory, Sichuan Rare Earth Materials Factory, Sichuan Shifang City Jida Chemical Factory, Anning River Rare Earth Smelter and so on. The main products include rare earth concentrates, rare earth ferrosilicon alloys, mixed rare earth compounds, enriched materials and mixed metals. The production capacity of rare earth concentrates and the handling and processing capacity reaches 50,000 tons (REO-oxide calculation).

Fourth, the scope of application of rare earth elements

1, rare earth elements in the traditional industries in the field of application

Question 4: What are rare earths used for? Rare earth oxides can also be used to make specialty glass. For example, the glass containing the rare earth element lanthanum is a glass with excellent optical properties, this glass has a high refractive index, low dispersion and good chemical stability, can be used to manufacture advanced camera lenses and periscope lenses. Rare earth oxides can also be used in the manufacture of colored glass, the addition of rare earth element neodymium can make the glass into wine red, the addition of rare earth element praseodymium can make the glass into green, the addition of rare earth element erbium can make the glass into pink. These colored glass color is unpredictable, can be used to create decorative objects.

Rare earth elements can also play an important role in safeguarding our health. Rare-earth compounds can be used to stop bleeding, and do so quickly and for a day or so. The use of rare earth drugs on dermatitis, allergic dermatitis, gingivitis, rhinitis and phlebitis and many other inflammatory diseases have a good therapeutic effect, for example, the use of rare earth drugs containing cerium salts can make the burn patient wound inflammation reduction, accelerate the healing. The anticancer effect of rare earth elements has attracted widespread attention. In addition to removing harmful free radicals in the body, rare earth elements can also reduce the level of calmodulin in cancer cells and increase the level of oncogenes.

In addition to the above three uses, rare earth elements in our life is also very wide range of uses. As long as the right amount of rare earth elements are added to some traditional products, some magical effects will be produced. At present, rare earths have been widely used in dozens of industries such as metallurgy, petroleum, chemical industry, light textile, medicine and agriculture. For example, rare-earth steel can significantly improve the steel's abrasion resistance, wear and corrosion resistance and toughness; rare-earth aluminum coil in reducing the fineness of the aluminum wire at the same time can improve the strength and electrical conductivity; rare-earth pesticides will be sprayed on the fruit trees, not only to eliminate pests and diseases, but also improve the rate of fruiting; rare-earth composite fertilizers can not only improve soil structure, but also increase the yield of agricultural products; rare-earth petroleum cracking catalysts used in China's oil refining industry, the cost of less than 100 million yuan, but the gasoline and other light oil output efficiency increased many times.