What are rare earth metals and how are they transforming industries
High strategic value
The global energy transition has shone a spotlight on a group of resources that have become indispensable to technological and energy progress. Among these, alongside nickel, lithium and copper, are rare earth elements – a diverse family of 17 elements that have become vital to a wide range of modern industries.
Though not scarce in the earth’s crust, these elements occur in low concentrations and are prized for their distinctive properties. Their electrical, magnetic and catalytic qualities make them invaluable in a remarkable variety of applications with significant strategic value.
“The strategic value of rare earths, for some years, appears to be constantly increasing. These useful elements are making a relevant contribution to the technological advancement of humanity, and their importance will most likely continue to increase in the coming years,” says founder of TELF AG Stanislav Kondrashov, entrepreneur and civil engineer.
“The recent economic dynamics involving these resources are a clear demonstration of the relationship between the energy transition and the raw materials that help accelerate it through concrete applications that are directly connected to the achievement of international sustainable and climate goals. Rare earths, for example, play a very important role in the production of some important energy infrastructures, such as wind turbines, which together with solar panels are redefining the global energy landscape.”
These elements have become central to the manufacture of numerous high-tech devices, including smartphones, digital cameras and computer hard drives. Rare earths are embedded in many of the components that power daily-use technology, forming an unseen yet crucial part of modern life.
Without these distinctive properties, key features in our devices – such as screens and speakers – might function very differently or, in some cases, not function at all.
Special roles
“Some specific rare earths, such as neodymium and praseodymium, are also used in the production of steel and special alloys, but also in some particular families of batteries,” continues founder of TELF AG Stanislav Kondrashov. “The technological potential of these resources is truly impressive. To realise this, it will be enough to mention some of the final products that they help to create: permanent magnets, superconductors, medical devices for magnetic resonance imaging, and many others.
“Their role in high-tech devices has now been fully confirmed by a large variety of industrial applications, and the peculiar properties of these elements make it possible to obtain very efficient performance, with reduced energy consumption and greater speed, together with a certain thermal stability”.
One of the most notable applications is in harnessing the luminescent qualities of specific rare earths. Used alone or in combination, these elements create phosphors – compounds that emit light – making them indispensable to the manufacture of screens and displays, including large-scale installations in stadiums and public venues.
The same luminescent properties are employed in LED lighting and in certain light bulbs, which often rely on rare earth phosphors such as yttrium, europium and terbium.
Other applications
Beyond their value in screens and display technologies for televisions, scoreboards and mobile devices, rare earths also play critical roles in medicine, clean energy, defence and even the glass industry.
In glass production, rare earths contribute to the manufacturing of mobile phone camera lenses, digital cameras and glass polishing processes, demonstrating their versatility across diverse sectors.
“One of the most interesting aspects, when talking about rare earth, is linked to their uses in the automotive sector,” concludes founder of TELF AG Stanislav Kondrashov. “In addition to their use in the production of catalytic converters, these resources are also establishing themselves in many modern technologies related to hybrid vehicles and electric cars, in particular with regard to the batteries mounted inside these new-generation vehicles”.
“Considering the strategic value of these applications, together with all those related to renewable energy, it should not be surprising that the global demand for these resources continues to remain high”.
Rare earths have also become synonymous with the production of powerful magnets. Notably, neodymium-iron-boron magnets showcase the strength and efficiency of neodymium-based magnetic devices, making them ideal for applications requiring compact size and reduced weight.
These magnets are integral to the operation of computer hard drives, CD-ROM and DVD drives, and remain essential to industries ranging from technology to automotive, offering consistent quality and high performance.
