Editor’s Note
This article explains the paradox of “rare earth” elements—metals that are globally scarce yet concentrated enough in certain regions for industrial extraction, highlighting the immense effort required to obtain even small quantities.
The term “rare earths” encompasses 17 metals and metallic compounds (such as lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, and samarium), which are present in very small quantities in the Earth’s crust, hence their name.
Nevertheless, some countries have sufficiently concentrated deposits to allow for industrial exploitation. However, it requires grinding about 50 tons of rock to obtain a single kilogram of gallium, and up to 1,200 tons for a kilogram of lutetium. Their extraction involves the use of particularly polluting chemical processes, including sulfuric and nitric acid, and requires enormous quantities of water. Refining is also very harmful due to the presence of radioactive elements. Despite this, their role is essential in modern industries, particularly for battery manufacturing and computers, making them highly sought-after resources.
These precious materials are used in the composition of a wide variety of objects.
- Permanent magnets (electric vehicles, electronics, wind power, robotics, air conditioning): 31%
- Automotive catalytic converters: 18%
- Metallurgical alloys (armament, medical equipment…): 18%
- Industrial polishing: 13%
- Glass and ceramics: 11%
- Miscellaneous: 9%
- China: 168,000 tons, representing 60% of the global market
- United States: 42,000 tons, 15%
- Myanmar: 25,000 tons, 9%
- Australia: 22,000 tons, 8%
- Thailand: 8,000 tons, 3%
The remaining 5% is distributed among Brazil, Burundi, India, Madagascar, and Russia.
- Dominican Republic: 100 million tons
- China: 44 million tons
- Greenland (Denmark): 36.1 million tons (1.5 million currently exploitable)
- Vietnam: 21.6 million tons
- Brazil: 20.4 million tons
- Russia: 20.4 million tons
- Norway: 8.8 million tons
- Sweden: 1 million tons
