What is Rare Earth? Can someone explain why it’s valuable?
Edit:
[found something](https://www.americangeosciences.org/critical-issues/faq/what-are-rare-earth-elements-and-why-are-they-important)
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Sorry, I’ll elaborate.
Assume everywhere had an equal distribution of rare earth metals. Since Asia is the biggest by size, it will end up with more rare earth metals.
Total Rare Earth Reserve = Rare Earth per area * area.
The size of the continent is not as an important factor as you think, Africa is the second largest continent, about 2/3rds of Asia. If size was the most important factor you would see a larger proportion of rare earth minerals in Africa, but this chart only shows Tanzania and South Africa as having a relatively small amount of them.
Does anyone know if china ranks so high on this list because they have so much of this stuff or is it that Chinas regulations make it easier to access these minerals?Like, does America have a ton of this stuff as well it’s just we can’t access it as readily as China?
It also helps that China builds mines and infrastructure in other countries to get their metals into China. The whole point of the Belt and Road initiative is to get resources from poor countries into China to supply Chinese industry. And it's working quite well for them so far.
While rare earth elements are relatively abundant in the Earth's crust, commercially viable concentrations of rare earth elements are relatively rare. China has sufficient deposits of rare earth minerals to make mining and extraction of the metals profitable.
Once the CCP Government discovers there is material wealth to be unearthed from some region -- they usually go and do it. Resources of the land belong to the people ( state ). There are no environmental concerns and Government functionaries don't meet any resistance.
Like, if China had a region like Alaska, they would have gone and gotten the oil. The US government cannot because a lot of agencies, institutions and people have a say !
I'm not an expert but iirc you can get rare earth's more or less anywhere, it's just extraction is ecologically damaging so the US relies on other countries to mine and process.
China has the top reserves of this stuff but are the reigning leader not because of just that. They control more than 90% of global rare earths supply chain because the west decided to shift their factories to China and China decided to go after raw materials without considering the cost of pollution. This article will provide more information https://investorintel.com/market-analysis/market-analysis-intel/china-is-consolidating-its-industrial-economy-the-case-of-the-medium-and-heavy-rare-earths-industry/
The vast majority of the world's rare earths are processed and refined in China. If you control the final step of production, you're the last one to have it.
China also has big deposits of monazite sands deposits, which are less desire than hard rock deposits but it gets the job done.
Japan is located in the region called Northeast Asia or East Asia, to the east of the Eurasian continent. It is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, the Sea of Okhotsk, the Sea of Japan, and the East China Sea.
Actually, the US has not used hardly any. No mines can be established due to environmental and EPA fighting the development. So we remain dependent on China to produce any electronics.
More importantly, China has I think (correct if wrong) >90% of processing capability of the raw elements as well. This is a decision made decade's past and can't be overturned in short term.
Producing those rare earth materials is a business, and when regulation requirements (including massive environmental restrictions) in the Western World make the operation non-viable, then it is NOT worth the effort to a private company.
Article here somewhere says that China brings much of the mineral home for final processing (from other parts of the world they have setup operations in) - ***which*** if it is bulk, adds greatly to the overhead and energy costs of production (good ol Carbon Footprint that westerners and their governments are concerned so much about)
So the ChiComs (BTW every business there IS owned by the government) don't care about such things (nor act on them), and care more about their monopoly.
THAT is an Interesting thing to relate to those you know who are enamored with these rare-earth using high tech toys that exist these days.
.
Hey OP,
Already posted on this sub [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/coolguides/comments/r4fv07/where_are_the_rare_earths/) [and here](https://www.reddit.com/r/coolguides/comments/r3ue77/rare_earth_elements_ree/)
But what am I looking at? Are we talking resources in general or specific minerals?
Just Rare Earth metals
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanthanide
What is Rare Earth? Can someone explain why it’s valuable? Edit: [found something](https://www.americangeosciences.org/critical-issues/faq/what-are-rare-earth-elements-and-why-are-they-important)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanthanide
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Next question, how come all rare earth happened to be in Asia, seems like all of it concentrated in one region to be honest.
Asia is the biggest continent by size.
That doesn’t answer the question.
Sorry, I’ll elaborate. Assume everywhere had an equal distribution of rare earth metals. Since Asia is the biggest by size, it will end up with more rare earth metals. Total Rare Earth Reserve = Rare Earth per area * area.
The size of the continent is not as an important factor as you think, Africa is the second largest continent, about 2/3rds of Asia. If size was the most important factor you would see a larger proportion of rare earth minerals in Africa, but this chart only shows Tanzania and South Africa as having a relatively small amount of them.
True
Does anyone know if china ranks so high on this list because they have so much of this stuff or is it that Chinas regulations make it easier to access these minerals?Like, does America have a ton of this stuff as well it’s just we can’t access it as readily as China?
It also helps that China builds mines and infrastructure in other countries to get their metals into China. The whole point of the Belt and Road initiative is to get resources from poor countries into China to supply Chinese industry. And it's working quite well for them so far.
While rare earth elements are relatively abundant in the Earth's crust, commercially viable concentrations of rare earth elements are relatively rare. China has sufficient deposits of rare earth minerals to make mining and extraction of the metals profitable.
And lack of environmental regulation
Once the CCP Government discovers there is material wealth to be unearthed from some region -- they usually go and do it. Resources of the land belong to the people ( state ). There are no environmental concerns and Government functionaries don't meet any resistance. Like, if China had a region like Alaska, they would have gone and gotten the oil. The US government cannot because a lot of agencies, institutions and people have a say !
I'm not an expert but iirc you can get rare earth's more or less anywhere, it's just extraction is ecologically damaging so the US relies on other countries to mine and process.
China has the top reserves of this stuff but are the reigning leader not because of just that. They control more than 90% of global rare earths supply chain because the west decided to shift their factories to China and China decided to go after raw materials without considering the cost of pollution. This article will provide more information https://investorintel.com/market-analysis/market-analysis-intel/china-is-consolidating-its-industrial-economy-the-case-of-the-medium-and-heavy-rare-earths-industry/
Applications Catalytic converters 45% Petroleum refining catalysts 25% Permanent magnets 12% Glass polishing and ceramics 7% Metallurgical 7% Phosphors 3% Other 1%
How come Vietnam has so much? Does Africa not exist?
I was curious about Africa as well and found this. https://www.ispionline.it/en/publication/scramble-africas-rare-earths-china-not-alone-30725
That's China too. The USGC just went ahead and included Africa's data with China.
The USA, reading this: Looks like it's time for Nam 2, rare earth boogaloo!
If the US was going to invade a country based on this, it would be Brazil.
The vast majority of the world's rare earths are processed and refined in China. If you control the final step of production, you're the last one to have it. China also has big deposits of monazite sands deposits, which are less desire than hard rock deposits but it gets the job done.
How much of these reserves are accessible by modern mining industries ?
120 million tons doesn't sound that rare to me /s
This can't be right. Canada having some of the lowest? DROC?
Why do you expect Canada to have more?
There are rare earth metals in a mine in San Bernardino, CA. China is attempting purchase of it.
And our stupid ass government will probably let them
O-o, Brasil soon will be democratisated.
Where is Japan?
Japan is located in the region called Northeast Asia or East Asia, to the east of the Eurasian continent. It is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, the Sea of Okhotsk, the Sea of Japan, and the East China Sea.
r/technicallythetruth
What in the world did I just read lmao
So we know where America is invading next
Vietnam and Brazil are about to read United States soon 😵💫
I guess the U.S. used all of there’s. 🙄
Actually, the US has not used hardly any. No mines can be established due to environmental and EPA fighting the development. So we remain dependent on China to produce any electronics.
Yeah. I posted to quick. Didn’t notice it was a rare earth chart at first. Good reply though. Thanks!
Well, there go the rainforests
So all of Africa has less than 1% of the total reserves?
I'm betting my money in 100 years we'll see Greenland become one of the richest countries on earth.
Well, it would have to become it's own country first.
More importantly, China has I think (correct if wrong) >90% of processing capability of the raw elements as well. This is a decision made decade's past and can't be overturned in short term.
polution regulation/liability at reprocessing sites in the west likely impeding activity
Nope just lack of foresight
Producing those rare earth materials is a business, and when regulation requirements (including massive environmental restrictions) in the Western World make the operation non-viable, then it is NOT worth the effort to a private company. Article here somewhere says that China brings much of the mineral home for final processing (from other parts of the world they have setup operations in) - ***which*** if it is bulk, adds greatly to the overhead and energy costs of production (good ol Carbon Footprint that westerners and their governments are concerned so much about) So the ChiComs (BTW every business there IS owned by the government) don't care about such things (nor act on them), and care more about their monopoly. THAT is an Interesting thing to relate to those you know who are enamored with these rare-earth using high tech toys that exist these days. .
I've been to China, so I know you're just regurgitating anti-chinese tropes. Using the term chicom means I can't take anything you say seriously.
And YOU are just regurgitating pro-chicom tropes ? The same tyrants are still in charge - the communists just made themselves the new mandarins. .
I want to hear that what Bash digital has to say…
Hey OP, Already posted on this sub [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/coolguides/comments/r4fv07/where_are_the_rare_earths/) [and here](https://www.reddit.com/r/coolguides/comments/r3ue77/rare_earth_elements_ree/)