Rare earth materials: An elemental challengefor China and the world

Description

Though rare earth elements are not, geologically speaking, all that rare, they are still largely unknown to the general public. That, however, could be about to change. The likes of lanthanum and holmium could soon be names as familiar to us as gold and oil. The explanation is scarcity.

Global demand for these materials is booming, tripling over the past decade from 40,000 to 120,000 tonnes. Rare earth elements are used in a host of technologies from iPhones, to fibre-optic cables, to missile guidance systems. And they are also essential for a swath of low-carbon technologies from catalytic converters, to nuclear power rods; a market that is set to expand exponentially over the coming decades as nations seek to reduce their use of fossil fuels.

Original URL

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/leading-articles/leading-article-an-elemental-challenge--for-china-and-the-world-1855408.html

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/leading-articles/leading-article-an-elemental-challenge--for-china-and-the-world-1855408.html