rare earths
Seventeen metallic elements
Rare earths are a group of seventeen metallic elements with similar chemical properties, used in electronics, magnets, and other high-tech applications.
Despite the name, most aren't particularly rare—they're just difficult to extract and process.
China dominates rare earth production, making them strategically important: The factory couldn't get rare earths for its batteries.
F-block metallic element series
- ceriumAtomic number fifty-eight
- neodymiumRare-earth metallic element
- europiumElement sixty-three
- gadoliniumLanthanide, atomic number sixty-four
terbium · dysprosium · holmium · erbium · thulium · ytterbium · lutetium · scandium
Act of removing
- oreMetal-bearing rock
- tailingsPost-extraction mineral waste
- open-pitExcavated from exposed ground
- processingSystematic operation on data
refining · separation · leaching · concentration · deposits · reserves · recycling · urban mining
East Asian superpower
- supply chainProduct delivery infrastructure
- strategicDeliberately planned for advantage
- export restrictionsLimits on goods leaving
- quotasMandated numerical limits
trade war · stockpiling · dependency · domestic production · reshoring · diversification · sanctions · national security
Self-sustaining magnetic materials
- electric vehiclesBattery-powered motor transport
- wind turbinesMachines converting air movement to electricity
- smartphonesHandheld touchscreen computers
- lasersAmplified coherent light sources
fiber optics · LEDs · batteries · catalytic converters · phosphors · hard drives · headphones · MRI machines
Reduction of supply
- finiteHaving definite bounds
- shortageDeficient supply of necessities
- criticalExpressing disapproval or importance
- preciousHighly esteemed, greatly valued
nonrenewable · price volatility · hoarding · strategic reserves · recycling · substitution · market speculation · supply disruption
lanthanides
F-block metallic element series
gadolinium · terbium · dysprosium · holmium · erbium · thulium · ytterbium · lutetium · scandium · yttrium
extraction
Act of removing
processing · refining · separation · leaching · concentration · deposits · reserves · recycling · urban mining
China
East Asian superpower
- supply chainProduct delivery infrastructure
- strategicDeliberately planned for advantage
- export restrictionsLimits on goods leaving
quotas · trade war · stockpiling · dependency · domestic production · reshoring · diversification · sanctions · national security · monopoly
permanent magnets
Self-sustaining magnetic materials
- electric vehiclesBattery-powered motor transport
- wind turbinesMachines converting air movement to electricity
- smartphonesHandheld touchscreen computers
lasers · fiber optics · LEDs · batteries · catalytic converters · phosphors · hard drives · headphones · MRI machines · guided missiles
depletion
Reduction of supply
- finiteHaving definite bounds
- shortageDeficient supply of necessities
- criticalExpressing disapproval or importance
precious · nonrenewable · price volatility · hoarding · strategic reserves · recycling · substitution · market speculation · supply disruption · allocation
- resourcesresources, money, natural resources, human resources, financial resources
- industrial materialsaluminum, metals, plastics, chemicals, lumber
- earth materialsrock, soil, mud, clay, mineral
- trade goodsgoods, oil, silk, commodities, crude oil
- traded goodscommodities, raw materials, consumer goods, gold, silver
- underground resourcesore, mineral deposits, mineral veins, gemstones, fossil fuels
rare earthscommon elements
Features appearing across multiple things
iron · aluminum · silicon · base metals · calcium
rare earthsnoble gases
Nonreactive elemental group
base metals · alkali metals · transition metals · ferrous metals · halogens
earth, rare, rarely, rarity, earthy, rarefied, rarer, earthenware, earthen