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Tantalus-Project
Rare Earths
- Introduction
- Importance
- Applications
- Tantalum & Niobium
- Zirconium & Hafnium
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Rare Earths

Wide Range of Applications

Rare earths are crucial for numerous application in a very wide range of industries. The once futuristic qualities and exotic characteristics of rare earths are slowly becoming everyday terms with everyday uses in the ever-expanding high-tech sector and communications industry.

Summary of REE based technologies,
their applications and the main rare earth metals involved

Rare Earth Technology	Application(s)	REE required
Catalysts	Oil production Gasoline and hybrids, diesel fuel additive Fluid cracking Ethane polymerization	La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Lu, Y, Sm
Rare Earth permanent magnets and ceramic magnets	Wind and hydro power generation Cordless power tools Generators Hybrids, plug-in and electric vehicles Electric assist motors Medical imaging Computer disc drives Handheld wireless devices	Nd, Pr, Dy, Tb, Sm, Tm
Phosphors	LCD TVs and monitors Plasma TVs and displays Energy efficient fluorescent lights & LEDs	Y, Eu, Tb, Gd, Ce, La, Dy, Pr, Sc
Energy storage	NiMH batteries	La, Ce, Pr, Nd
Glass additives	Fiber optics Optical glass for digital camera	Ce, La, Nd, Er, Gd, Yb
Polishing powders	LCD and Plasma TVs and monitors Silicon wafers and chips	Ce, La, Pr
Others	Lasers Superconductors Nuclear applications Fertilizers High tech alloys	Yb, Y, Dy, Tb, Eu, Sm, Nd Gd Ce, Er various REE Yb, Lu, Er, Tb, Gd, Eu, Sm, Nd, Pr, Ho, Sc

Industry Products

One of the most commonly used intermediate rare earths product is “mischmetal”, an alloy containing some 50 % cerium (Ce), 25 % lanthanum (La), 15 % neodymium (Nd) plus iron, calcium, and other rare earth elements. Mischmetal is commercially available in bar, rod, or powder form.

Key Industrial Consumers and Products:

Automobile and petroleum industry
Glass industry, optics, high-quality lenses, crystal production, luminous fiber optics
High-performance electronics, high-tech weapons, satellite technology and telecommunications
Metallurgy, ceramics industry, and laser industry
Water treatment, alternative energies, marine biology
Paint and lacquer production, laboratories, drying technology, fluxing agents
Manufacture of magnets, batteries, spare parts industries
Shieldings against radioactivity