Holy men who met their unholy ends
The recent discussions between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shed light on Trump's keen interest in Ukraine’s vast mineral resources, particularly its rare earth mineral deposits. These minerals are essential for a wide range of industries and advanced technologies, making them a highly valuable asset. Given their significance, it’s no surprise that securing access to these resources was a key point in the negotiations.
In this gallery, we take a closer look at rare earth minerals and explore their real-world applications across various fields. Click on to learn more.
Rare earth elements (REE) are a group of chemically similar metals essential to modern technology, despite their misleading name. While not particularly rare, extracting them is hazardous and complex. And with their crucial role in green energy, defense, and advanced computing, it’s no wonder global superpowers are eager to secure these resources. Now, let’s explore some of these elements and their uses!
Scandium, discovered in Scandinavia, is a lightweight and high resistance element. Despite being classified as an REE, it is the 32nd most common element found in the Earth's crust.
It is combined with aluminum to make aluminum-scandium alloy, which is known for its strength and durability. It is used in ultralight aerospace components, jet fighters, baseball bats, and high-end bicycle frames. Scandium is also used in mercury vapor lamps to produce intense light, and in the manufacture of semiconductors.
Named after the city of Ytterby, near Stockholm, Sweden, Yttrium is a soft metal with a white-gray color. It is the 43rd most abundant element and is almost always found in combination with other elements and minerals in the Earth's crust.
In the early years of television, Yttrium was used to generate red color on the screen. Today, it is used in white LED lights. It is added to glass to make it shock and heat resistant. Digital cameras, smartphone lenses, as well as some superconductors, are made with yttrium. Its radioactive isotope, yttrium-90, is used in the treatment of liver cancer.
Lanthanum is a highly reactive metal, soft enough to be cut with a knife. It is the 28th most abundant element found in the Earth's crust.
Lanthanum is mostly used in combination with other elements since the pure metal is very reactive. As an alloy with nickel, it is used in hydrogen powered vehicles to store hydrogen gas. Along with other rare earth elements, it is used in studio lighting and cinema projections. It is also used as a catalyst in petroleum refining.
Cerium is a soft gray metal named after the asteroid Ceres. It is the 25th most abundant element found in the Earth's crust and has several uses.
Its highly pure form is used in the manufacture of alloys with aluminum, iron, and magnesium. It also forms an important component of flat-screen televisions, floodlights, and bulbs. Cerium is used to make flints in lighters, where it sparks when struck. Cerium oxide is used in catalytic converters, especially in reducing carbon monoxide emissions.
This soft, malleable, silver-yellow metal is the 39th most abundant element found in the Earth's crust.
Praseodymium alloys are known for withstanding great stresses. That is why they are used in aircraft engines and permanent magnets. Praseodymium is also used to produce a yellow tint in glasses that filter out yellow light and infrared radiation. It is the major component in manufacturing glasses for goggles used by glassmakers and welders.
Neodymium is a hard, silvery metal that rapidly oxidizes when exposed to air or moisture, producing pink and purple fumes. It is the 26th most abundant metal found in the Earth's crust.
One of the most prolific uses of neodymium is in the manufacture of powerful permanent magnets. Its oxides are used to create pink and purple glass, color glazes, and filters used in glassmaking as well as astronomical telescopes. Lasers made with neodymium are used for welding, drilling, eye surgeries, cosmetic procedures, and skin cancer treatments.
Samarium is a silvery white metal that usually remains stable in dry air. It is the 40th most abundant metal found in the Earth's crust.
Samarium-cobalt magnets are very powerful, about 10,000 times more powerful than iron, and come only second to the ones made using neodymium. They are used in headphones and miniature speakers, contributing to high-quality sound output. Their ability to withstand extreme temperatures makes them essential in miniature motors and microwave-based technologies like radar, satellites, and mobile phones. Samarium is also used as a neutron absorber in nuclear reactors.
Named after the continent, europium is one of the rarest elements and also one of the most reactive. It is the 51st most abundant element found in the Earth's crust.
Europium oxide is used to generate red light and is used in bulbs to create naturally warmer light by balancing the cold blue light. The euro banknotes have europium, which glows red under UV light, differentiating them from counterfeit notes that lack them. Like samarium, europium is excellent at absorbing neutrons and is used in nuclear reactors.
Gadolinium is a soft, shiny, silvery metal that gradually reacts with air and water. It is the 41st most abundant element found in the Earth's crust.
Gadolinium has specialized uses across different industries. It is used to make iron and chromium alloys to improve their resistance to high temperatures and oxidation. In nuclear reactors, gadolinium is used as an emergency shutdown measure due to its neutron absorbing capabilities. It is also used in magnetic refrigeration, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) detection of tumors, lasers, and microwave equipment.
Terbium is a silvery gold metal that is soft enough to be cut with a knife. It is one of the rarest rare earth metals and the 57th most abundant element found in the Earth's crust.
Terbium is used in hydrogen fuel cells to keep them stabilized. It also forms an important component of semiconductors, integrated circuits, and fiber optic cables. Its oxide is used in laser, TV screens, and flat-screen monitors to produce a green color.
Dysprosium has a bright, metallic luster, like many rare earth elements. It is the 42nd most abundant element found in the Earth's crust.
The most common use of Dysprosium is in magnets, where it prevents demagnetization due to high temperatures. It is used in home electronics, high performance motors, and wind power generation equipment. Due to its high melting point, dysprosium is used in the control rods of nuclear reactors.
Erbium is the 44th most abundant element found in the Earth's crust. Compared to other rare earth elements, it is very resistant to corrosion.
Erbium lasers are used in cosmetic procedures where they ablate the upper skin layer, revealing the smoother and younger layers. In dental procedures, erbium lasers are used for the removal of tooth decay and cavity preparation. Other applications include the coloring of glass, data transmission through fiber optics, and the creation of durable alloys.
Thulium is the 61st most abundant element found in the Earth's crust. Though 200 times more abundant than gold, it is still one of the rarest rare earth elements.
Thulium is used in magnetic refrigeration equipment, which makes them more energy efficient. Since it produces a blue color under UV light, it is used in banknotes as a measure against counterfeiting. Its isotope, thulium-169, emits X-rays and is used in portable X-ray machines.
Lutetium is the hardest of all rare earth elements. It has the highest density, the highest melting point, and the highest atomic number in the group. Along with thulium, it is one of the rarest rare earth elements and the 60th most abundant element found in the Earth's crust.
Lutetium forms an important component of positron emission tomography that is used in the scanning of cancer, heart, and brain diseases. It is also used in several chemical reactions such as alkalization, polymerization, and hydrogenation in oil refineries.
Sources: (United States Geological Survey) (Royal Society of Chemistry) (American Geosciences Institute)
Rare earth elements and their uses
Why nations are after these natural resources
LIFESTYLE Minerals
The recent discussions between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shed light on Trump's keen interest in Ukraine’s vast mineral resources, particularly its rare earth mineral deposits. These minerals are essential for a wide range of industries and advanced technologies, making them a highly valuable asset. Given their significance, it’s no surprise that securing access to these resources was a key point in the negotiations.
In this gallery, we take a closer look at rare earth minerals and explore their real-world applications across various fields. Click on to learn more.